


Angie Analyzes: Prodigal Son

by AngelaFaye11



Series: Angie Analyzes: Prodigal Son [1]
Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:48:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 65,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25387807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelaFaye11/pseuds/AngelaFaye11
Summary: Hello PS fandom! I’ve decided to go back and look at the first season through the lens of a literature/film teacher (it’s what I do after all). Additionally, having played the cello in an orchestra for 11 years, I’m going to deep dive into the use of music (both soundtrack and score) in the episodes. Because I’m me, memes will also be provided. Enjoy!
Series: Angie Analyzes: Prodigal Son [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1838656
Comments: 98
Kudos: 75





	1. 101 - Pilot

**:31** \- This is the first time we hear the main theme (instrumental score) of the show. It’s interesting that this theme is only played only when Malcolm and/or Martin are on screen. The choppy violin is aggressive (like Martin and also Malcolm's trauma). By the end of the theme, it’s almost musical nails on a chalkboard. It crescendos and hits high, uncomfortable notes for your ears because we as the viewers aren't supposed to be comfortable with Martin, or Malcolm’s trauma. The music is the viewer’s reminder that Martin is not someone you’re supposed to like or trust or be attracted to, Despite Michael Sheen’s superb portrayal and the writer’s brilliant dialogue. 

**1:12** \- Having read the original draft of the script for the pilot, let me just say how thankful I am for the numerous changes that were made. While I was unspeakably grateful for an explanation as to why in the world Dani was chomping gum like a Valley Girl, our pilot was superior by far. In the OG script Malcolm was incredibly arrogant to the point of being unlikable. His ability to skirt moral lines to get information still comes out in later episodes (see how he treats a witness in 104), but not in the 80s movie bully sort of way. 

**1:55** \- One of my personal PS kinks: Capable Bright (S/O to Rikki for the title). This scene is one of only FOUR times the entire season that we see Malcolm wield a gun. There is a subset of Prodigies who are pushing for more evidence that Bright spent a decade in the FBI. He has weapons training and at least some basic hand to hand/self defense, yet is often written as though he doesn’t know what he’s doing.

  * There’s a valid theory running around the fandom (thanks, TheFandomChic) that proposes that Malcolm absolutely can handle himself, when he’s alone (i.e., the Gym scene with the masochist in 106). According to this theory, when we see Bright struggle to defend himself, it’s because there’s a civilian present who is in danger also. It absolutely tracks, characterizationally, that Malcolm would be more concerned with the civilian’s safety than his own. Thus, his mind would be distracted (for example the struggle with the killer in 117, when Alessa is also present). 



**2:00** \- The difference in how Malcolm thinks vs. the local cops. They’re rushing around barely noticing anything as they go. Meanwhile Malcolm is taking slow deliberate movements, analyzing everything he sees as he goes. 

**3:09** \- Martin’s themes (when not the main) are always low, deep notes. To be honest it is reminiscent of the Jaws Theme. He’s a threat, lurking beneath the surface of his outwardly cheery and “trustworthy” exterior. Martin is certainly the shark ready to bite when you aren’t paying attention, the calm water in which the piranhas are patiently waiting.

 **4:17** \- Shout out to the use of Bright’s flashlight as part of the lighting in this scene. We still don’t know a lot about him at this point. He’s partially in shadow, but he loves hiding his inner self and shining the light on others. Ah symbolism.

 **4:41** \- “No one’s born broken. Someone breaks us.” An Iconic line from the show and a recurring theme throughout. Is it nature or is it nurture? We shall see.

 **4:54** \- Malcolm’s smile before Springer is shot. It’s his version of pure joy. He’s done his job, used his skills to locate and talk down the killer. Malcolm is proud, these are the moments when he is happiest. And in a split second it’s violently ripped away. The blood of the man who had turned himself in is literally splattered all over his face. 

**5:21** \- “I am NOT your son.” This is a line that would normally sound as though the speaker is proud to be their father’s son and doesn’t want someone else claiming that role. Bright speakers this line with his face covered in blood. He’s just punched an officer in the face for murdering the suspect. His eyes are wild with anger and, frankly, Malcolm looks every inch The Surgeon’s son. Out of context, this picture is pretty frightening. 

**5:33** \- Malcolm’s judgement scene is completely devoid of any background music, score or otherwise, until the words “You’re fired” are uttered. Then, for four seconds we hear a slowly crescendoing set of violins- representing Bright’s comprehending the information given to him. As his anger builds, so does the volume. The minute the supervisor mentions his mental health issues and, more importantly, says ”not unlike your father” the main theme returns. Malcolm and Martin’s theme. As the audience is introduced to the laundry list of Bright’s diagnoses (and see the tremors), Martin, the cause of them, is present in the form of the theme.

 **6:27** \- Malcolm makes a point to call out his fellow professionals for mislabeling Martin as a predatory psychopath instead of a predatory sociopath. Much to the fandom’s dismay throughout the season, this label has been switched more than partners at a square dance. Whether this was simply an oversight, as various writers were working on different scripts at different times, is unknown. But Malcolm himself even calls Martin a psychopath in other episodes. One of my few complaints about the show. 

**6:38** \- This scene with Malcolm and Martin talking in the cell mirrors the prior one. The majority of it is also scoreless. Martin is calm, conversational, happy even.

  * But the minute he hears adverse news, the strings start again. What’s interesting is that the strings symbolizing Malcolm’s “comprehension” in the previous scene played higher notes, less threatening. As we watch Martin digest the news that Malcolm doesn’t intend to return to see him again, we hear lower strings, deeper instruments. The Martin Jaws Theme returns. The predator is unhappy. 



**9:14** \- The first soundtrack song we hear is “I Can See Clearly Now” by Jimmy Cliff (which I would have swore was released in the 80s, not 1993). This song is everything Malcolm truly wants to experience. There’s also the mentions of not only Malcolm’s chosen moniker “Bright,” but also a shoutout to everyone’s favorite guard-bird, Sunshine. Petition to start a “Best Supporting Animal” Emmy category anyone? Did Malcolm choose this as his last name as a reminder to find the light in the darkness? To force himself to keep from being pulled down by the shadows and demons that plague his existence? We have yet to hear an explanation. 

**9:40** \- Okay, I could write a dissertation on rewatching this season knowing what we do about Ainsley in the finale. Alas, now is not the time. Her theme music, however, is ironically upbeat and lighthearted. Well played showrunners, well played. 

**10:55** \- Gil’s theme has a hard bass line. It tells us he’s a tough, no nonsense kind of guy. The playful piano overlay softens that a bit and shows that he’s someone friendly and maybe even important to Malcolm. Gil’s giant smile upon seeing him solidifies that fact.

 **11:55** \- Dani’s theme/the crime scene theme has a bit of a techno undertone. Hustle and bustle happening on the job, with some high piano notes. The good guys are associated with the right hand of the piano. 

**12:24** \- JT’s theme continues some of the sounds from Dani’s intro, but includes a hint of electric guitar. Given that JT is wearing a black leather jacket, this fits. He is your stereotypical NYPD detective: tough and ready to rock and roll. 

**16:03** \- Jessica’s intro. As I got into this episode and was really paying attention to the themes and sounds from the score, I literally laughed out loud when I came to Jessica’s introduction. Her music starts off even darker than Martin’s does. Perhaps a comedic nod to the fact that, in some ways, Malcolm might think her just as detrimental to his mental health as his father. Her reveal is reminiscent of a slasher film in terms of the sounds in the score. It’s quite humorous. Then, again, silence. 

  * Malcolm only ever calls Jessica “Mother”. It’s a proper, perhaps wealthy upbringing, term. He does something similar with Martin: My father, Dr. Whitly, or The Surgeon. (At least until 119 - more on that importance later). There seems to be almost a professional distance between our main character and his parents. 



**18:31** \- Edrisa’s Intro. By the time I got to this scene, I was in the zone, paying close attention to the themes for each member of the team. Up pops Edrisa… nothing. No music at all. Another moment where the showrunners, brilliantly in my opinion, let a scene breathe naturally and don’t cover every waking moment with background music. She, however, was the first of the main characters not to immediately have a theme play. Initially I was annoyed. “Why? Doesn’t she deserve her own music too?”

  * Then, Malcolm entered the scene, and magically, music. That’s when the biggest revelation of the episode hit me: **every character’s theme, their underlying score, represents Malcolm’s view of them.** The tone, the notes, all of their sound, is representative of how Malcolm feels about them, what they mean to him. Mind blown. 



**20:47** \- 

  *     * Dani: Gil said to wait. He’s pulling a warrant. 
    * Malcolm: _breaks protocol, pulls out phone to call suspect, which leads to them entering the apartment prior to Gil’s orders_
    * Me: Baby’s first “I ain’t waiting for backup” 



**21:34** \- “My profile’s wrong.” Malcolm speaks this line with a fascinated grin on his face. The thrill of the chase is genuine for him. Outsmarting those whom others can’t even begin to comprehend, the reward. He’s not even angry that his profile is wrong, more like “touche Mr. Serial killer, touche”. 

**23:24** \- “I’m going to chop off your hand.” This line and the corresponding giggle, paired with the shift in music, reminds one of a horror film. It’s the moment in the pilot where the audience starts to wonder whether or not Malcolm is capable of the same atrocities his father is. It’s not the first time he’s gone off-book. Remember he’s punched a cop in the face, basically threatened his superior officers at the FBI when they fired him (“Next time you call someone crazy, ask for their gun first”), and ignored his superior’s command to wait before entering the apt. It’s clear his thought patterns aren’t typical. The real question is just how unconventional are they? 

****

**26:02** \- Ainsley: Don’t you watch my reports? Jessica: Not with the sound on. 

  * This statement, while a comedic jab, tells us a lot about Jessica. To Malcolm, in private, she hails Ainsley as the perfect one, the one she doesn’t need to check up on. But we frequently see her throughout the series focus on Ainsley’s physical presentation i.e., Looks, fashion, outward appearance. This quote implies that how Ainsley looks on camera is far more important than the content of her reporting (see the “Carpet at the DMV” line in 114). Meanwhile Jessica’s concerned about the content of Malcolm's job i.e., Malcolm’s safety, killers, and the psychological effect the job has on him.



**27:23** \- The PS Jaws theme returns during Malcolm’s night terror in the precinct. The coloring, the music, the lighting, everything about this scene again screams horror film. The lighting, design, and music departments on this show are simply divine. We are introduced to the infamous Girl in the Box. Malcolm then sleep sprints out of the conference room and accidentally tackles Dani in the process. Despite her barely knowing this man, she’s compassionate toward him. She protects him from the other officers who are literally pointing guns at him. Meanwhile, Malcolm is holding on to her for dear life as he wakes and realizes where he really is. 

**29:00** \- I absolutely love the comedic moment in this scene. As Bright is talking to Gil about his night terrors, Dani, JT, and another cop are behind him, staring at him like he’s crazy. Then, the minute Malcolm turns to look at Dani, they immediately “look busy”. I chuckled. The rack focus between Bright and Gil is beautiful here as well. 

**30:25** \- The grandest version of the Malcolm/Martin theme. Honestly the whole transition from the precinct to Claremont is just genius! Malcolm tells Gil he will go ask his father about the sketches. The theme starts slow, soft, subtle. Then it slowly crescendos as Malcolm decides to visit Martin, is en route, and Martin is being restrained in preparation for his visitor. It gets even more intense as we see Malcolm tentatively walking the halls of Claremont, stress ball in hand, the door opening, Malcolm entering and taking a breath. The slow turn reveal of Martin happens at the screeching strings portion of the music Yet another reminder, this guy looks and sounds charming, BUT WE SHOULD BE AFRAID!

  * Martin immediately uses familiar terms with Malcolm “My boy” whereas Bright’s first salutation is “Dr. Whitly”. He respects his title of doctor, but refuses to acknowledge any familial connection. 
  * In this scene Martin has some VERY comedic lines. The writers are tricking us into liking Martin immediately, into being charmed by him. It’s easy to forget he’s a murderous evil man when there’s no victims around and he’s trying to win over his estranged son. Malcolm is in no way amused by Martin's antics and is profiling him from the millisecond he enters the room. Martin asks him to take a seat, relax (stay a while). Malcolm isn’t interested in that. He huffs and takes another deep breath, essentially saying “Let’s get to it. I’ve no intention of staying.” 
  * After the initial main theme, this scene is also set to no score. It allows for the tiny echoes of their voices to bounce off the walls of the cement and brick cell. The effect is that this cell still feels empty, void even, despite Martin having five-star accommodations for someone who’s killed at least 23 women.



**32:33** \- small note - Martin’s tether is black is in this scene. In every scene after it is white. I suspect because it’s difficult for the viewer to see it on that fancy Persian rug of his. 

**34:36** \- Malcolm profiles his father’s fear that once Martin helps, he will leave and never come back. Bright immediately bargains his mental well being for help solving a case. The first of so many times we will see him put himself in harm's way in the name of helping/saving someone. In 112 “Internal Affairs” we learn the reason behind this behavior when Malcolm confesses: it’s a form of guilt from not figuring out his own father sooner. He feels responsible in part for those his father murdered, and now he will always consider the victims and helping them before his own safety. 

**34:59** \- As Martin approaches Malcolm to pick which of the patients is the copycat, Malcolm breaks eye contact with him and looks down afraid. I would love to know if this was a direction in the script or just an acting choice by Tom Payne. Either way it shows us that Martin still has the power in their relationship, despite Malcolm’s intelligence and fronting. 

**36:06** \- The most underrated line in the pilot, in my humble opinion. When referencing the surprise appearance of his mother at a location where they’re working, Malcolm tells Dani “Maybe you _should_ draw your gun.” The prospect of confronting his mother about working with the NYPD is far more terrifying to Bright than confronting a serial killer who’s copying his own father. Just delightful writing.

**39:26** \- Malcolm admits to Carter, and more importantly Dani, that he is the surgeon’s son. As he does, the Malcolm/Martin theme returns in the form of a slow piano ballad. It matches Malcolm's confession. He’s not scared of Martin in this scene. He’s confessing that he’s actually afraid of himself. Thus, the music is less frightening and more dramatic. The strings build because Malcolm is legitimately willing to sacrifice himself for Claire and Dani. It’s the first time we hear from Malcolm himself that he bears a great deal of guilt for the crimes he didn’t even commit. He feels that (as a 10 year old for Pete’s sake) he didn’t do enough and could have stopped his father earlier. Therefore, he should suffer as well. He is literally willing to let go and die for the victims that aren’t even his. The music follows the intensity of the revelation and Malcolm’s decision to allow himself to be sacrificed. There’s a great article in which Tom talks about filming this scene and how it was unexpectedly raw to have Malcolm admit that The Surgeon is his father ([Tom Payne Season 1 Assignment X](https://www.assignmentx.com/2019/the-actor-talks-his-lead-role-on-the-fox-show/)). 

**40:44** \- Malcolm literally collapses to his knees after Gil takes down Carter. He was a second away from sacrificing his life, that realization takes a toll. Dani is furious with him. She tries to get him to admit that he wouldn’t let Carter kill him and his answer: “OIf course not. That’d be crazy” is clearly BS. 

**40:47** \- Only the second actual soundtrack song: “Dawn, The Front” by Talos. BRILLIANT selection for the scene to come. Another piano centric song, with deep bass beats (similar to the Malcolm/Martin theme honestly, but also vastly different). The melody is melancholy and sounds full of pain. There are very few actual lyrics to this song: 

  *     * Blind your silence white
    * We reach when it's reachless
    * And doe eyed, and keep the creaking night
    * So close that it's seething  

      * That’s it. The rest is all a slow and powerful crescendo of music that flows seamlessly with the scenes the viewers are shown: JT and Dani questioning Gil’s sanity for bringing in Bright, the explanation of the child Bright turning in his father and saving Gils life. It’s moving in a way that many shows just can’t replicate. Frisson. All the [frisson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frisson). 



  * Then, we see the juxtaposition of Gil offering the candy as a thank you to young Malcolm and Malcolm still using candy as a balm for when he's in pain. That one gesture from Gil has stuck with Malcolm as a soothing mechanism (more to come in the form of lollipops galore). It also shows that Gil has had a lasting impression on Malcolm. We’ve heard that they’ve known each other for 20 years, but now we are seeing that this relationship is deeper than just friends or acquaintances.



**43:38** Malcolm accuses Martin of orchestrating the entire Carter copycat scenario in an effort to get Malcolm to return to him. As soon as we see Martin processing that accusation, PS Jaws theme makes another appearance. Martin always has an ulterior motive. Don’t ever forget that.

**44:25** \- The Malcolm/Martin theme returns in its original rendition, when Martin knows he’s hooked Malcolm. Despite Bright saying “goodbye”, Martin knows he’s intrigued his son, that he’s teased Malcolm’s professional desire to learn and understand the killer mind better than anyone. And we now know Malcolm will absolutely toss his own mental health aside like it’s nothing in the name of solving a case. As Malcolm walks away and tries to front that this is the last time they will see each other, the stress ball returns and Martin again says “My boy”. He knows it’s not the last time he will see Malcolm. 

So there we have it! The first of a season's worth of deep dives that I can't wait to continue. Let me know your thoughts in the comments! 


	2. 102 - Annihilator

**:52** \- After we get a replay of the GITB revelation, Malcolm once again awakes from a night terror. Next we see a montage of his morning routine, to yet another ironic soundtrack selection: “I feel good” by James Brown. We see Malcolm working out, taking his meds, doing yoga, ignoring a call from his mother, basically doing everything within his own power to keep his mind and body in a happy place. He’s trying desperately to beat these issues every way he can. 

**1:12** \- Daily affirmation: “I am thankful for my past and its many lessons”. After all the hard work of the morning, this is the affirmation he picks up. NOPE. Malcolm recites it once, rips it in half, and immediately descends into a memory. Even so early as episode 2 of the season, the viewer sees that no matter what Bright does, he just can’t seem to out run his demons. 

**2:33** \- People referenced in Jessica’s “seating rant” at brunch: 

  * Huma Abedin - Political figure associated with Hillary Clinton. Was the vice chair of her 2016 presidential campaign. Also was Clinton's deputy chief of staff when she was secretary of state.
  * “That Madoff woman” - Assuming Ruth Madoff - Bernie Madoff’s wife. He of course being the market mogul who ran a 64.8 billion dollar Ponzi scheme and is currently serving time in federal prison. 
  * “Now I’m at a table of Sacklers - The Sackler family owns pharmaceutical company Purdue Pharma. This specific company has been ridiculed for allegedly pushing the over prescribing of oxycontin, thus playing a large part in the American opioid crisis. 
    * It’s clear the first two name drops are not the caliber of socialite that Jessica expects to be hobnobbing with. Her expression, and subsequent sigh makes it hard to tell whether or not she is excited about being seated with the Sacklers or if she still didn’t get what she wanted out of the ordeal.



**3:38** \- Side note, can Tom Payne wear this specific suit in every episode? The color is stunning on him and it makes those amazing blue eyes pop like they’ve been photoshopped.

**3:40** \- Return of the scary score. As PS loves to do (and I greatly appreciate) many scenes aren’t weighed down with excessive scores behind them. The brunch convo is carried out with nothing but the sounds from the restaurant around them. But, as soon as Jessica mentions Martin: creepy score. I simply love this recurring theme of Martin being there in the sheet music even when he isn’t on screen. As Malcolm confesses the new information that he has started to see in his terrors, the low cello and base notes start creeping. You can almost picture a predator in the wild to this score: a lioness creeping up on her prey in the dark, a snake silently slithering through the underbrush before it strikes. (More on that reference later.) 

**4:18** \- “Again with the girl in the box.” So, I’m going to pay devil’s advocate here. Early on, Jessica got quite a bit of hate about her response to TGITB. Obviously, before we knew more, it even made her look as though she might have been complicit to Martin’s crimes or, at the very least, knew about them. I see this more of Jessica being sincerely worried about her son’s mental health. She’s seen everything he’s been through and now sees things they’d thought he had under control resurfacing and wreaking havoc on Malcolm’s life. I think she's frustrated that he would indulge these “fantasies'' and put himself in a position to further damage his mental health (little does she know right?). I see this scene as a scared and frustrated mother trying to keep her son from furthering his descent into psychological hell. Not so much the haughty, wealthy socialite that’s covering up her family’s dirty laundry. 

**4:30** \- There’s an interesting contrast between the Malcolm we see at brunch with Jessica in this episode vs. the Malcolm we saw with her in his kitchen in episode one. In the pilot, Malcolm seemed to be less confrontational. He attempted to speak up in his defense a few times, but in the end Jessica won over the conversation by basically telling him he was coming to dinner whether he liked it or not. Then she insults him by saying she never has to check up on Ainsley because she’s perfect (cut to: everyone watching the finale). Here at brunch, Malcolm is openly combative with his mother. This isn’t an argument about dinner. He is no longer hiding the fact that he’s working with the NYPD. This is about the GITB, his nightmares, solving the case in his head. And we all know that NOTHING will stop Malcolm Bright from solving a case, not even fracturing his own mental health. 

**6:18** \- Malcolm rejoins the team. JT’s first reaction is “Oh hell no” which A) I love because, that’s no filter JT expressing his exact feelings on this matter and B) Malcolm responds in kind, with his exact feelings on being at the crime scene of a quadruple homicide: “Oh hell yes!” These two lines, which were incredibly similar, show us so much about each of these characters. How many officers, detectives, or profilers would enter a crime scene with a “Hell yes!” ? Malcolm that’s who. Also, notice that Malcolm correctly identifies and greets Dani, but then calls JT Jamie. I seriously think he deliberately does this for the first few episodes to get under JT’s skin. Malcolm is a brilliant man, who I’m sure has no trouble remembering names.

**6:43** \- The conversation between Dani, JT, and Gil about Malcolm’s return is a hilarious mirror image of the same convo Gil had with Bright in the pilot. Previously, it was Gil who was chastising Bright for going rogue and chopping off a man’s hand. Now, Dani’s bringing that same incident up and Gil’s defending Malcolm - “And saved his life!” 

**7:49** \- Edrisa and Malcolm. Once again we see Edrisa fawning over Bright. Being adorably nerdy, and boldly flirtatious as always. I know there’s a large subset of the fandom that is hating on the fact that Edrisa does this. This opinion is often paired with discussion about the fact that she is an Asian character and people feel this behavior is degrading. Many have said it’s another stereotype of an Asian character being nerdy and quirky and meant to be comic relief. While I absolutely agree that those pigeonholed type of Asian characters exist in Hollywood, I have also read the original pilot script. In the OG version Edrisa’s last name is Guilfoyle, which is Irish/Gaelic. So yes, many times the borderline-obsessive Edrisa/Malcolm dynamic can feel unfair to a character/actor of Asian heritage. However, the creators didn’t originally write that character as Asian; she was originally Irish and we just got AMAZINGLY lucky that Keiko Agena became the Edrisa we know and love. Therefore, I think we can set aside the ideas that the creators and writers specifically wrote degrading actions toward an Asian character. Are they kind of degrading for a woman in general? Kind of. Yeah. Do I think it would be awesome to see more of Edrisa in season two and get more back story? Absolutely. But I don’t think her race or ethnicity played any part in those jokes and behaviors. #MyTedTalk

  * One of the many reasons I enjoy the character of Edrisa, is because I feel like she is the physical manifestation of the collective Tom Payne fandom. That’s how we all feel about him, too. He’s an insanely talented actor and an even better human being (see his insta recently?!). We feel you on a spiritual level, sis. 



**6:35-11:38** \- This scene is quite long for a television show, in terms of being one continuous moment in one location. It ends up being a full 5 minutes. That’s an 8th of this episode. They draw it out to give us an in-depth look at how Bright sees a crime scene. We saw a much shorter version of this in the pilot. But now we truly get to see the dots as Bright’s connecting them. I especially enjoy the profiling of the meal. Something I guarantee no one else on the team was paying attention to at all. Yet Bright has figured out that the entire meal was forced upon the family simply because of the dishes prepared. During this part of the scene we get multiple shots of JT, either in the background or the main focus of the camera. It’s obvious that he’s paying attention to Malcolm’s logic, and even respecting his abilities to catch things they hadn’t. (The bromance is budding folks, here we go!) 

**9:46** \- FINALLY the return of the Main theme! Why, you ask? Because Martin is here. As soon as everyone's favorite it’s-easy-to-forget-he’s-murdered-23-people dad returns to the screen, the Malcolm/Martin theme returns. I LOVE the twist they put on the theme here. It’s high notes on a piano, so not the typical screeching WARNING strings. But if you listen carefully there’s something off about the sound of the notes. They’re disturbingly off key. Not even a half step off of each other. More like an 8th or a 16th step off. Just distorted enough to remind you that while Martin is being all cuddly and warm (initially anyway), he’s always working an angle. And he’s still a twisted, killer 

**10:07** \- We see the effect Martin is having on Malcolm. The mere mention and discussion of Martin at brunch with Malcolm was enough to make the tremors restart. In this scene, the audio contact alone is enough to cause the shaking to increase substantially. 

**10:16** \- Papa!Gil always keeping an eye on Bright. Because that’s what a REAL dad does! 

**10:35** \- Let’s talk symbolism folks! The phone call between Malcolm and Martin serves as a voice over while we see Edrisa snipping the stitches on Aristos’ mouth. Literally while Martin is spewing toxic word vomit and false love toward Malcolm, A SNAKE IS SLITHERING OUT OF A FATHER’S MOUTH. Now, I know I have a Master’s Degree in English Education and all, but I feel like this is symbolism anyone could spot from space. Martin is a snake. If you want to make this a biblical reference, he’s the devil himself. Nothing he says or does can be trusted. 

**12:06** \- Malcolm helps get the Black Mambas off of Edrisa, while simultaneously distracting her with cool science information. If this isn’t the epitome of their interactions, then I don’t know what is. Bright also manages to earn some additional respect from Dani and JT in the process, building that trust with the rest of the team, proving that he knows what he’s doing, even if he is a little eccentric. 

**13:32** \- Gil starts to enter the conference room. His whole body isn’t even completely in the room before Malcolm’s asking whether or not Edrisa is okay. This is Malcolm Bright in a nutshell: “Are they okay?” That’s his first and foremost thought when it comes to a case. Are the victims, or in Edrisa’s case potential victim, okay? Malcolm is the polar opposite of his father. Let’s say we’re sticking with the “Predatory Sociopath” designation for Martin. By definition that makes him incapable of feeling empathy, or caring about the emotions of others. Meanwhile, that’s all Malcolm cares about: everyone else. Honestly, Bright is probably the most selfless character I’ve ever seen on a television show. Granted, he takes this characteristic to unhealthy levels frequently. But at his core, “Are they okay” is all Malcolm cares about. Ironically, he never asks himself this question. In fact, he frequently ignores his mind and body’s signals telling him that he isn’t, all because continuing to push himself might help someone else. 

**14:06** \- Malcolm confronts JT. JT has been throwing quiet, but not inaudible, jabs at Malcolm since they’ve met. Again, Malcolm has been, deliberately in my opinion, getting his name wrong as well, so it isn’t completely one sided. But this final jab, “Don’t all murders seem personal to you?” pushes it to the point of discussion. Malcolm then proceeds to give JT the “yess my dad was a serial killer” speech. What’s great about this speech is it’s obviously rehearsed, scripted even. This is in no way the first time Bright has given it. He has spent his entire life, since he was ten at least, explaining to people that he is not like his father. Because, for some reason, it’s assumed that being a murderous sociopath is genetic. People assume that Malcolm is or will become like his father. Indeed, that’s basically the lynchpin on which the entire first season relies. Will he? Won’t he? This particular speech though shows us two things: 1) Malcolm isn’t afraid to confront the issue of his father- now that the pilot’s big reveal has happened and 2) he can even do so in a way that makes a big tough NYPD cop feel both intellectually inferior and ashamed for his assumptions. 

  * Bright calls Martin a psychopath during this speech, despite his freaking out on his FBI superiors for mislabeling him the same way in the previous episode. The first of many flip flops on this issue. As I previously said, one thing that bothers me with the show. 
  * While giving this speech, the main theme returns as a piano ballad with some hip bass undertones. Martin is there influencing the conversation, but he’s not threatening Malcolm right now. In fact, Bright is standing firmly apart from his father in his speech. So, the theme is pleasant, almost peaceful. 



**15:43** \- Papa!Gil is doing some profiling of his own. He’s been watching Bright as he rejects call after call. He watched the previously taken call at the crime scene. Gil knows something is going on. And he’s always in “protect Malcolm'' mode. One of the many reasons he’s our papa and we love him.

**15:51** \- Martin’s descent into madness throughout these phone calls is delightful. The first one, in which he actually spoke to his son, was all honey and sugar. So sweet it could give you a cavity. The first message after was also very “Hey there, son. Just want to help. Love you bunches.” Lighting in this scene is amazing as well. At first, Martin’s sitting in the glow of the sun like Roma Downey on an episode of Touched By an Angel (fans in their 20s or below might have to look up that reference). Even his hair is relatively tame by its usual standards.

  * Then, as he continues to be ignored, we see the inner Martin coming out. He’s framed in the darkness between the beams of light from his windows. His hair is more disheveled and he’s screaming “I just want to help damnit!” into the voicemail. There’s angry, violent Martin. 



  * But just as quickly as he appears, Martin gets the silent-parent-threat-stare from Mr. David, and out pops everybody’s-favorite-dad Martin again. He can turn that crap on and off like a light switch. And that should scare the bejesus out of us. 



**19:10** \- In the words of Malcolm: “I have so many questions” 

  * So, no one in the area hears ANY of the sounds coming out of this warehouse? Especially given that the giant front door is open with only some plastic covering?



  * That’s not the sound a cheetah makes! That is definitely a lion. I get it a lion’s roar is scarier than the cheetah’s growly-meow thing. But goodness. And it only makes the “no one’s hearing this?” issue all the more unbelievable. 



  * WHY is Malcolm allowed to go into any potentially life threatening situation with the team unarmed?!
  * If they’re walking in guns-a-blazing then why is Bright allowed in with NO DEFENSE WHATSOEVER? Either give this man a gun (which we all know he’s trained to use correctly) or get him out. 
  * I understand that this is a plot device. We want the main involved, and if he’s weaponless then he has to talk down the perps and show us that genius brain of his. But this is the worst part of the show for me. I say this with a borderline unhealthy obsession’s worth of love in my Prodigy heart. #ArmMalcolmBright 



**19:50** \- There are many parts of this snake bite scene that I just adore:

  * Tom’s “of course I got bit” laugh after he pulls the snake off his wrist.



  * The absolutely perfect comedic moment of him being in the middle of saying “It’s probably not even poisonous” and just falling over mid sentence. 
  * Then the way both Tom and Aurora play the rest of the scene is delightful. I love the worry in her voice as she calls the ambulance. And how she keeps checking his pulse and trying to hold his head so he will look at her. 
  * Tom does a wonderful job not overplaying being poisoned. I’ve seen some other shows use this trope. And the actor flops around like they’re having a full blown seizure. Tom does the small rigid movements well.
  * My favorite part of this scene is the fact that you can see in Bright's eyes that he’s trying so hard to focus. He knows what’s happening to his body, he knows what he has to do to try and stay awake, but you can’t fight poison. We even get a lovely little growl from Bright because he’s so annoyed that he can’t fight it. Tom plays that knowledge, frustration, and fragility in Malcolm’s eyes superbly. 



**19:59** \- Mic pack spotting on Aurora’s back. 

**20:18** \- It’s clear that the night terrors are worse whenever Malcolm is unconscious for reasons other than, and I use this term loosely, “sleep”. This will show in future episodes. While under due to both the poison from the snake and a mixture of various medications (drugs), we see the first vision from the terrors that involves Martin drugging Malcolm. There’s a connection between the ways/reasons that Malcolm is unconscious or ”sleeping” and the information the terrors present to him during that time. So much more to come about this topic. 

**22:54** \- While Ainsley is in the hospital room with Malcolm. It’s clear she suspects something fishy is going on to cause his terrors to increase. During this scene, in which she snags his phone and listens to multiple voicemails from Martin, a new musical theme emerges. The violins do something that’s called sliding up the string to get to their final note. This creates a mixture of tones and keys until they all finish on the same final note. 

  * Mini lesson for those not musically inclined: when you listen to a song they’re in certain keys. Those keys rule which notes you can hit and make the melodies sound pleasing to the ear. If you hit an off key, it creates something of a nails-on-a-chalkboard effect in your brain. Imagine the first note of chopsticks on the piano. The first notes played together sound rough and unpleasant, then the second notes resolve/fix the harmony or key. ([Chopsticks](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1XXnstW6Vk)) 
  * Okay that was longer than I planned, but a necessary point. So, when a violin slides up a string to hit a note it's like someone dragging their finger up a piano. It hits every note until it reaches the correct one, and that’s not very pleasing to the ear. 
  * Yikes music nerd tangent. 
  * This is all actually relevant because Ainsley is the one interacting with Martin in this scene, via listening to the voice mails. And suddenly we’re getting this interesting and creeptastic new theme underscoring the scene. Coincidence? Well we now know it’s likely not, but then we didn’t. So our first hint at Ainsley’s destiny, came as far back as episode 2 people. These show runners are brilliant. 



**23:24** \- This shot of Ainsley is chilling. Everything about her appearance screams lovely, well brought up young woman. But if you look into those eyes… chilling. 

**24:10** \- Oh the irony of this moment. Ainsley is begging Malcolm not to see Martin again. “Don’t do this. Don’t go back to him. Don’t let him into your mind.” Oh my dear Ainsley. We all yelled the same thing at you a few episodes later. 

**24:20** \- The creepy Ainsley theme makes a seamless and beautiful transition into the main Malcolm/Martin theme here. They even keep the sliding strings from Ainsley’s theme while the main is playing. Honestly if you hear this music with your eyes closed it screams horror film. It’s dark and beautiful. Now, knowing what we do, it’s almost poetic the way the music is pulling us back and forth between Ainsley’s (future) connection to Martin and Malcolm’s. 

**24:30** \- The second time Malcolm approaches Martin’s cell he is in a vastly different headspace. He doesn’t look afraid as he strides in slow motion down the tiny hallway to the cell door. Bright is on a mission, solving the case inside his head. There’s no room for fear when there’s a case to be solved. 

**26:04** \- The theme has stopped and Malcolm and Martins conversation in his cell is again set to no score. The music only returns when Martin baits Malcolm with the comment about the Annihilator case he’s working. When the mental manipulation starts, so does the Martin Jaws theme.

**26:16** \- “I’ve always been fascinated with familicide. To love one’s family THAT much...” ::Rubs forehead with thumb and index finger:: Where to begin with this? This single quote tells us everything we ever need to know about Martin Whitly. Martin experimented with his victims the way a scientist runs lab trials. He explored new, and horrifyingly painful ways to slowly kill people. The science of it was literally fascinating to him. Just like the science of what happens to the brain to cause familicide genuinely intrigues him. What’s more, he actually believes that an overabundance of LOVE is what triggers a person to MURDER their family members. Martin Whitly, ladies and gentlemen. 

**26:54** \- The parallels between the Boutsikaris family and the Whitlys: 

  * “It’s not always about who they love. It’s about who loves them” - This is spoken in reference to Aristos, the father of the family. The parallel here is the fact that it isn’t always about Martin, despite what he might think. It should be about the family who loved him that he practically destroyed. 
  * Liam “Wanted out. He even changed his name.” - I mean do I have to explain the connection here? Trying to escape your family issues by separating from them and changing your name? Sounds familiar…



**27:59** \- A millisecond of comedy as Malcolm leaves. Martin gives him the feel free to come back any time line “My door is always open” as the cell door slams heavily shut and locks. Well done, creative team. 

**34:35** \- As Jon Littman is lying there, poison in his system, hoping to die. Malcolm steps over his arm. We see only the bottom of his leg. Despite the fact that this poison is self inflicted by Littman, the music when Malcolm’s foot enters the shot makes it feel as though Bright is actually the one responsible. We even hear a hint of the main theme as Malcolm literally has Littman’s life in his hands. Does he let the killer die? Or inject him with the pen? We watch Malcolm’s face as Littman says “I don’t want to live”. Bright thinks for a moment, then replies “I know” and injects the pen. It’s almost like that was Bright’s revenge for Littman’s actions. Not giving him what he wanted. The intensity of the music also tells us this isn’t necessarily a merciful act on Malcolm’s part. 

**35:14** \- This scene reveals so much about Malcolm and Gil’s relationship. As of this episode we still don’t know much about just how close the two of them are. We know Gil was the arresting officer in Martin’s case. We also know that Malcolm literally saved Gil’s life by telling him his father’s M.O. But this is the first scene that we truly see a surrogate father/son relationship between the two. Gil is concerned about him, asking him to talk about what’s going on. Malcolm doesn’t necessarily share (as many children don’t), but he does open up to him in other ways.

**35:31** \- 

  * Malcolm: “You don’t have to worry about me. I can do the job. Actually. It’s the place I feel most normal. I need it.” 
  * Gil: “Yeah. That’s not a good thing.” 



Malcolm isn’t oblivious to the looks, the comments, the way others view his intensity about a case. He knows that they don’t completely trust him (at least Dani and JT so far). He’s trying to reassure Gil that this thing he isn’t talking about hasn’t pushed him so far that he’s incapable of working. Gil seems to skip right past the “Can he do the job” issues and focuses on the one thing a father would: Malcolm needing his job to feel normal. Bright needs to consistently be inside the heads, the mindsets of killers to feel “normal”. That’s a problem. 

**37:19** \- Dani escorts Bright home. Things to note in this scene: 

  * Dani is the first of the team (unless Gil’s been there off camera sometime, but who knows) that sees Malcolm’s loft. 
  * She comments on the abundance of weapons on his wall, and drunk Malcolm starts bragging about the dates and origins of the weapons. Dani literally blows that entire conversation off with a simple “I guess it’s good to have hobbies.” 
  * “Is this a parakeet?” “Yeah. Don’t make it weird.” An iconic line from this show. It’s just so versatile. Easy to drop into everyday conversations. 
  * Malcolm looks like a drowsy 10 year old boy when he crawls up into his bed and can't get his restraints on. So much so that Dani can’t suppress a smile while watching him. Same, Dani. Same. 
  * The always hilarious “I’ve never slept with anyone. I mean. I’m not a… I mean I’ve had sex. Plenty of sex” while Dani somehow manages to not crack up. 



  * I’m going to guess that, with the exception of his mother and possibly Ainsley ( maybe not even them), Dani might very well be the first female to help Malcolm get into his restraints. To her credit, when he asks her if this is the craziest thing she’s ever seen, she doesn’t even flinch, replying “Not even close”. Yes he’s drunk, but still the moment is personal for two people who haven’t known each other very long. It’s a cute way to build the character’s trust and relationship while allowing Malcolm to be vulnerable around someone who doesn’t know everything about his life and mental health yet.



**39:09** \- Once again we have Malcolm, under the influence of both alcohol and meds from the hospital, sleeping. During this “slumber” we learn that Martin did indeed chloroform Malcolm when he found the GITB. The effects on these shots immediately tell us that while we are seeing the scene in third person POV, we are hearing the dialogue from Malcolm’s POV. Everything is fuzzy and unclear. 

**40:39** \- Shout out to the Tron music Martin is listening to - since Michael Sheen was in that film (the remake that is). 

**41:26** \- The absolute mental manipulation performed here by Martin is both nauseating and expertly performed. He still has such a hold on Malcolm, that he, THE SERIAL KILLER, completely turns the conversation about him drugging his 10 year old son around and blames the child for what he didn’t do (aka turned in his father fast enough). All of this happens in less than 60 seconds. It's cold. It’s calculated. It’s diabolical. It’s Martin Whitly.

**42:09** \- At this moment in the discussion Martin has said to Malcolm “Why can’t you remember? Perhaps it’s better if you don’t” and then we hear footsteps mixed within the musical score. High heeled stomping footsteps. Jessica’s footsteps from the next episode when she finds young Malcolm snooping in the basement? An intriguing touch to the gaslighting scene here. 

**42:29** \- Almost solidifying this hypothesis, is the fact that as soon as Malcolm leaves, Mr. David makes a mysterious phone call. He tells someone that Malcolm has returned to visit his father again: Jessica. As she throws and shatters her phone - oh to be rich and have the ability to do that on a whim - the main theme plays over her reveal, instantly leading the audience to believe that our matriarch has something to do with all of this. There’s more toJessica Whitly than we thought. 

See you next ep!


	3. 103 - Fear Response

**Let me start off by talking about how monumentally ignorant I am for not even thinking to look up the actual PS composer, Nathaniel Blume. It literally slipped my thought process for two episodes, while I systematically praised the man’s genius over and over. No excuse for such an error. Mr. Blume, you are an absolute treasure and musical genius and I will spend the next 18 episode’s groveling. 

Now that my stupidity has been outed, let’s discuss the theme that runs throughout this episode. Hint: it’s the title - “Fear Response”. Not only is the case of the week focused on this, but we see several of our characters dealing with their fears and how they individually respond to them. Each of them takes very different approaches to dealing with that which frightens them. 

**:19 -** This flashback to Jessica visiting Martin in prison in 1998 has so many subtle nuances it should be illegal. Jessica is initially very timid and understandably afraid of the environment she has entered. When she sits, Martin immediately tells her she “looks stunning” and she answers with a flattered “thank you. 

  * SIDE NOTE: I used to teach English at a prison (my life’s path basically looks like a 2 year old trying to connect the dots, but I digress). This is relevant because the first thing the director said to me was “Fair warning: You’ll like the sex offenders more and it will freak you out when you realize you do.” I, of course, thought he was insane. But he went on to explain the comment. The violent and drug offenders tend to have more abrasive attitudes. Where as the sex offenders are masters at charming people, grooming them to do what they want. Therefore, they’re wonderful conversationalists. They know how to appear trustworthy and create seemingly genuine bonds with people. Damned if he wasn’t right. The day that realization hit me, was a bit of a mind f**k. I say all of this because: Martin is OOZING that same grooming, manipulative charm in the opening of this scene. His character straddles the fence between violent offenses and the grooming qualities of a sexual offender. So much that it brought back those feelings and it made my skin crawl.



And here he immediately compliments, and draws Jess in. For a moment they aren’t in the prison visitation room and he hasn’t been charged with 23 murders. It’s old times. But then he brings up their children. The second Malcolm and Ainsley are mentioned, Jessica snaps out of it. Shocker, once she does, aggressive Martin appears. The fact that Jessica could love someone who turned out to be so inherently evil terrifies her. She was completely fooled. At this moment in time, she fears that blindness, and Martin himself. Her response: to immediately go on the offensive. No one is ever coming back here. You’re not seeing the children again. She is cutting off the bad limb, so the infection doesn’t spread throughout the family, or so she thought. Good effort, Jess. We know you tried, hun.

**2:25 -** The main theme does an awesome back and forth in this scene. Whenever Jessica is on screen it’s high notes, with a bit of a beat mixed in- momma’s in a hurry and not in the mood to play. Meanwhile, whenever we switch to Malcolm having the night terror, the deeper, creepier notes hit. That out of tune piano, the notes aren’t quite in the right key, nails on a chalkboard sound returns. Martin’s presence in the dreams via music. Nerd squee. 

**2:58 -** Martin’s words from the previous episode’s last act are repeated, “how many more people died? And why can’t you remember?” This is Malcolm’s fear. That he is partially responsible for Martin’s victims, because he didn’t put the pieces together fast enough. He has, unsurprisingly, fixated on these lines, because he’s Malcolm after all and if things aren’t his fault then he doesn’t know what to do with himself. Someone give this man a hug! Malcolm’s response to this fear? Night terrors so vivid and horrifying that he manages to break a restraint and throw himself out a window. 

**3:41 -** First and foremost, props to Tom for being one of those actors who does as much of his own stunts as insurance will allow! (Yes, he did that window stunt, folks.  [ Tom Payne on Prodigal Son ](https://www.tvinsider.com/824135/prodigal-son-season-1-episode-6-tom-payne-malcolm-bright-dani/) \- 4th question). I could write a bible, Jesus pun intended, on how underused this man was in The Walking Dead. Secondly, this is how tormented our main character is right now. His night terrors are so intense that he literally flung himself out of a window. More to come on this later. Thirdly, is there anything more iconic than Jessica Whitly simply blowing right past the fact that her son is still hanging out of the window through which he has hurled himself and demanding to be buzzed into his building? 

**4:19** \- Present day Jessica’s fear? Watching her son’s mental health, and by default his physical health as well, deteriorate because of the trauma Martin has caused him. Yes, she’s drinking at what is likely 8 in the morning. Yes, she comes across as an overbearing, spoiled, child of generational wealth. But, at the end of the day, she’s a scared mother. She's terrified for her child(ren). And she’s no longer 1998 Jessica, who’s a trembling victim trying to feign strength, as her entire world topples onto its side. This woman has been at this grind for 20 years now. She responds by demanding that things happen the way she wants, not because she’s an entitled rich woman (well not completely because), but because she feels this is the only way to save her son. 

**5:37** \- Dr. Gabrielle Le Deux! This is the first time we meet Malcolm’s therapist - if anyone in the history of ever needed a therapist it’s Bright! 

We also immediately learn that she was his child psychiatrist. So much about this scene shows us Malcolm as a physical adult, with childlike tendencies. 

  * Exhibit A - Malcolm sitting in the chair legs crossed beneath him, like a child sitting in a storytime circle. The framing in this scene is hilariously ironic: Malcolm sits like that in a chair, surrounded by stuffed animals, children's books, and colorful toys all the while discussing his mental health fracturing because his father brutally murdered 23 people. The contrast is actually quite humorous. 



  * Exhibit B - Malcolm - The 31 year old ex-FBI-agent-genius with a bank account that has more digits than an international phone number, doesn’t even make appointments with Dr. Le Deux. He just walks in as though she’s got nothing better to do than help him at this very moment. And he refuses to graduate to a therapist who doesn’t specialize in adolescents. 



**7:09 -** At the end of his visit with Dr. Le Deux we get a lovely call back to the pilot episode: Malcolm takes a giant handful of lollipops from her jar on the way out the door. A nod to him using hard candy as a coping assistant in times of stress, thanks to a kind gesture from Gil when he was 11. Which segways directly into the next scene…

**7:29** \- As Malcolm approaches the crime scene, he looks incredibly stressed out, but he takes a deep breath and looks down at the emotional-support-lollis as though they make everything okay. Bright then proceeds to hand one to each of his fellow team members. Gil’s reaction is pure gold: a giant grin, and he immediately opens it and puts it in his mouth. Given the fact that he started this whole thing, that’s not a big surprise. JT takes the lollipop from Bright, but his mannerisms and facial expression tell us this is going straight into the nearest trash can. Dani mockingly smiles as she takes it, not interested in eating it and looking unprofessional at a crime scene. However, we see this very same sucker make an appearance in episode 111 at a pretty emotional time for Dani. So, clearly she appreciated the gesture. Edrisa simply fangirls that Malcolm has offered her a “small gift” and immediately considers leaving the crime scene to get him a reciprocal one. 

**9:22** \- As Bright analyzes the letter left on the victim’s body we see him start to realize that in a small way, he fits much of the profile. Spend one episode watching Tom Payne’s eyes. A torturous endeavor, I know. He conveys so much emotion and silent inner dialogue through his eyes. It’s a joy to watch. Malcolm starts to discuss the handwriting, the suggestion that it means the killer has a “serious mental illness” and is perhaps having a “progressive psychotic break, guided by delusions or hallucinations.” As he says the final half of that sentence, you can clearly see him look away from Gil off to the side. internally considering the fact that he is likely in the same boat. 

Bonus points to Gil for immediately catching this behavior and being the Papa we all deserve! 

**9:55** \- Edrisa’s first “Bright was right.” The beginning of an era. Just wanted to note that. 

**11:15** \- Any time we are gifted with Edrisa sass it must be noted. She is such a consistent source of positivity and happy energy that a little snark is always fun!

**12:35** \- Martin knows parts of this case that haven’t been released to the public, not because he has inside information, but because he’s Martin and is practically thinking, “What would I do?” As he’s talking to Malcolm in this scene, seemingly upbeat and excited, the music is the polar opposite, dark and foreboding. Then, there’s the lighting, which is once again incredibly symbolic. Martin is literally pacing his room. At times he is completely shrouded in golden light and at others, he’s in the darkness. You can’t tell me that every time Martin calls Malcolm, it just so happens to be the time of day that his glorious golden sunrise is beaming into his room. A) because it’s a set of course and B) nothing is done by chance. This is definitely a conscious choice by lighting/directing/etc. A reminder that Martin is never fully on the side of good. He’s basically an agent of chaos, always returning to the shadows sooner or later, usually immediately.

**13:20** \- And here’s a prime example. This entire phone call Martin was so keen to “help out” with the case. When Malcolm tries to hang up and cut him off, Martin instantly turns manipulative. Cutting Malcolm down, planting seeds of doubt in his son’s ability to do his job. “Fear has always been your particular stumbling block.” I mean we can’t imagine why, Martin. 

While Martin is indeed gaslighting on a level that should earn him a pro contract, his next words to Malcolm are disturbingly true “You’ve always been good at repressing fear, pretending it’s not there. But it is.” The episode’s theme, from the mouth of the source himself. Malcolm tells him as much, and the master manipulator immediately turns the facts into a blown off “blame game” comment.

**16:42** \- This is the first time we see Ainsley express a desire, or at least grief at the missed opportunity, to get to know her father. Once again, the Ainsley version of the main theme makes an appearance in the score. The fact that she had this score the entire season and I missed it, both drives me crazy and delights my nerdy soul. It’s a slippery slope dear Ains. You should be careful.

**18:32** \- The first of a handful of times throughout the season that Tom’s British is showing. Let me preface this by saying I think he does a wonderful job with his American accent. Not to mention this man is in 95% of the scenes weekly on a network drama. He’s a badass, no mistaking it. But I have noticed that he sometimes pronounces words that end in “ry” in a British manner. This first example is the word “inflammatory” in this scene. The American pronunciation of this is “In-FLAM-ah-tory”. Tom says “In-FLAM-ah-tree”. We will see a few more of these tiny British moments from Tom as the season progresses. 

**20:55** \- Did Malcolm know about the additional ledge when he tossed Dr. Mitchell over? There’s some debate about this. I always leaned on the side of “yes”. Now, based on the 5 times I just rewatched this scene, twice on 1/4th speed, I’m even more firm in my stance. Here’s why:

  * Yes, the show has set Malcolm up as a person who might use questionable means to get the end result (Nico how’s that hand, buddy?). But, even though those means seem crazy, and even homicidal, at the time, they’re later revealed to actually be quite logical. 
    * 72 seconds to escape a bomb + dude cuffed to it + no time to pick a lock = chop off the hand so he survives. Hands can be reattached. Scattered fragments of your insides cannot. 
    * That logic follows. It’s morbid and dark, but it makes absolute sense. I’d much rather have my hand reattached than die. 
  * Secondly, even without the slow motion, there’s a spottable moment when Malcolm clearly looks over his right shoulder. In slow mo it's obvious.
    * Was it still incredibly lucky that Dr. Mitchell fell correctly and landed there? Yes. 
    * Does his nonchalant response to Dani’s questioning help his case? No. 
    * Is Malcolm actively looking for ways to torture and potentially kill people? Nah.
    * The fact that he had the entire Diazepam explanation cocked and ready to fire leads me to believe there’s at least a little truth to that statement.



**21:54** \- The second “Bright was Right” 

**24:13** \- The first time we see Gil and Jessica in a scene together. It is immediately clear that there’s some kind of history between these two. Platonic or otherwise we don’t quite know. We do get outright confirmation of Jackie’s death being three years ago, and that apparently Jessica and Gil haven’t been in contact since then, seeing as how she is just now offering her condolences. 

**24:36** \- 

  * Gil: “My wife loved Malcolm like a son” 
  * Jess: “She was kind, but she wasn’t his mother. And you aren’t his father” 



How I completely forgot this exchange after numerous times watching this season through I do not know, but WOW. Obviously there’s some animosity there. My guess is that Malcolm turned to Gil and Jackie during his adolescence and Jessica is still better. Also, this makes Jess’ 180 while on the phone to Martin - about Gil being more of a parent than he is - in 116 all the more hilarious. 

**26:57** \- Just like he did with Malcolm in the previous episode, Martin is twisting his vile misdeeds into being other people’s fault. Malcolm - the 10 year old - should have figured it out and turned him in sooner. Now it’s Jessica’s fault, because he had needs and he found horrible ways to meet those needs all so he could give her the life and husband she deserves. All those murders were for you Jessica ::insert gagging noise here::. 

**28:10** \- The first solo JT and Malcolm scene and MORE IMPORTANTLY: the beginning of the Malcolm-tries-go-guess-what-JT-stands-for trope. May this trope never die, for as long as the show shall live. Okay, I give full permission for Malcolm to finally guess it in the series finale. Ya know... season 9-10 ish. 

**32:30** \- I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I absolutely love how this show can go from procedural to thriller/horror flick in the snap of a finger. It especially resonates in an episode so focused on fear and how people process and respond to it. The interesting part here is that this situation - a killer in the house with him, and another person to protect - should legitimately scare Malcolm. But it honestly doesn’t. Bright has lived through far worse, and is currently reliving much if it via night terrors and repressed memories that are surfacing. Killer in the house? Let’s go find him! 

**33:36** \- The only soundtrack song in this episode: “Peace of Mind” by Blue Cheer. Both the title and the band name couldn’t fit in more perfectly with this episode. And, while the first lines aren’t what appear in the episode (let's be honest nothing beats a good late-60s-rock-end-of-song guitar solo), I’d like to share them 

  * Peace of mind/ to find is not easy/ when the one you love you don’t trust
  * I am fully aware that this song is about an affair, but tell me these three lines don’t fit perfectly into the Malcolm/Martin dynamic. 



**34:52** \- Give us more Malcolm fight scenes! That is all. 

**37:19** \- Jessica visits Martin for the first time in 20 years. His first words to her are the exact first words he said in ‘98 “You’re stunning”. This time Jessica doesn’t respond with a blush and a polite “thank you”, though. That time in her life is long gone. She’s spent the last two decades trying to escape the shadow of this diabolical man’s sins. Her response to his flattery now: “Burn in hell.” Atta, Jess.

  * Side note: Why the EFF is Martin not put in handcuffs when Jessica visits? He has been every time we see Malcolm with him. (Answer: required for the plot in which he’s supposed to reach out and touch her) Still… doesn’t track writers. Tsk tsk. 



**37:52** \- Up until this moment, the scene has been underscored with your average (but not the Main theme) creepy Martin music. He’s plotting, he’s trying to manipulate and even (gag) seduce Jessica. As soon as she shuts him down the music stops and the rest of the scene plays out without a score. The symbolism of the music being the manifestation of Martin’s manipulation is subtle, but a really cool recurrence far. As soon as he can no longer play his games, the fun’s over and the music is MIA. 

**39:11** \- when does the music restart? When Martin goes back to his typical self. He starts to compliment the job Jess did raising their children without him. He talks of how proud he is of their children and of her. He even goes so far as to thank her. The Martin score is nowhere to be found here. The music’s romantic. Piano notes with strings play softly beneath. We see both characters in medium shots, the emotions in their eyes. This could easily be a scene where one of them is confessing their love for the other. How quickly Martin can make you forget his true nature. Well, Martin, Michael, and the entire creative team. They do a masterful job of meddling with the viewer’s perception of Martin. 

**39:28- 41:12** \- The score in this entire scene weaves from the disturbing Martin themes to that same piano ballad. As Jessica relives moments from their life together, they were happy - there’s the piano. As she goes back to treating Martin like the monster he is, the darker themes return. The way these two styles of music blend and weave together is flawless and beautiful. 

**41:11** \- Also genius, at the mention of Malcolm’s name, the Main theme (aka the Malcolm/Martin theme) appears. Additionally there’s an AMAZING fade edit over the main theme. As Jessica begs Martin to leave Malcolm alone, “don’t take the one thing I have left”, the image fades from Martin to Malcolm. Stunning editing (stunning: see what I did there?). 

**41:44** \- The first time in the entire episode that we hear the full original Main theme. The show’s practically over. Why now? Because here’s metaphorical Martin, pushing his son so far that he’s willing to freaking chloroform himself to try and remember things. Thoughts on this scene: 

  * How did Malcolm get chloroform? 
  * NOTE to the FBI agent watching my computer: Okay, so we’re tight now right? You’ve been there when I researched some sketchy stuff for my fics: how many volts vs. amps it takes to kill a guy, exact types of illegal ammunition, places to stab but not kill people, how long it takes to pass out vs. die in a choke hold, etc. So, the fact that I just spent 15 minutes googling how a civilian might get their hands on chloroform... that’s nothing we need to stake out my house for, right?
  * Has Malcolm researched how much to use on himself? Because that seems like a pretty important aspect of this. 



  * If ever there was a time to MAKE SURE you restrain yourself Malcolm, this seems to be the time. 
  * Let’s bring back the main theme of this episode. This is how Malcolm responds to his fear. Make no mistake he is absolutely terrified of what he might learn if these repressed memories come rushing back. No doubt about it. He responds to his fear, by putting his mind and body through the exact same trauma it endured 20 years ago. He throws his well being under a fleet of busses, as per usual, all in the name of helping a potential victim. Malcolm doesn’t run from his fear. He walks right up to it, introduces himself, shakes its hand, and proceeds to tell it all of his greatest weaknesses. Then, he sits back and waits for the aftermath to ensue. 



**42:39** \- This exchange with young Malcolm is interesting to break down. Firstly, we aren’t sure how much of this is fact. Malcolm’s psyche isn’t exactly a reliable narrator. Secondly, looking ahead to the next episode, *SPOILER* we know that Jessica assumed Martin was having affairs. If you look at her dialogue in this scene through the scope of that lens: Malcolm says he saw a girl. Jessica assumes he did as well, in the “sneaking out” sense, not the “in a box to murder” sense. We can also assume that Jess goes right up stairs after this conversation with Malcolm to have the chat with Martin that is shown in the next episode. More on that in the next analysis. 

It makes sense that Jessica would tell Malcolm never to speak of the girl again, if she thought it was an affair. The only part that seems out of place is the “You have no idea what your father is capable of” line. If she thought it was just an affair, why this response? What is she afraid of? 

::holds for applause for the full-circle connection of the episode's theme… no one? Ah well. See ya next time!:: 


	4. 104 - Designer Complicity

GUYS! The Prodigal Son Season One Soundtrack (aka THE SCORE) was officially released on July 3! I mean so was Hamilton, and believe me I’m all over that right now too. But this is MAJOR! It’s on all the platforms and you can hear so much of what I’m specifically referencing in these deep dives. Thank you PS folks and Nathaniel Blume! I’m insanely excited to now have track names to reference! 

  * So note to everyone: What I was previously calling the “Main Theme or the Malcolm/Martin theme” is now going by its official name (which is delicious) “We’re the Same”. 



Before we hit the timestamps, let’s discuss the title. 

  * Complicity by definition means: having a knowledge of criminal activity. 
  * Adding “designer” in front of that applies to both the case of the week involving a designer, as well as the well monied “designer” folks. In this case we are referencing Jessica Whitly specifically. 



**:33** \- After a brief rehash of the revealed memory Malcolm has unlocked (thanks to last ep’s sponsor, Chloroform), we find our gent back at Dr. Le Deux’s office. Now, Bright is convinced his mother was, at the very least cognizant, of Martin Whitly’s homicidal extracurriculars, perhaps even complicit. 

**:38** \- Dr. Le Deux is all of us at this moment: you purposefully inhaled chloroform?! Help our boy, Doc. For the love of all things holy, help him! 

**:45** \- Tom does a splendid job in this entire scene showing us our first real glimpse of Malcolm on the verge. His body’s physical reactions to the psychological turmoil are everywhere. The last time we saw Malcolm in her office, he was sitting in the chair like a child at Summer camp. Now, as he tries to explain his way out of the chloroform incident with a touch of humor (not working Bright, sorry) he's hunched over, attempting to breath his way out of a breakdown. In an instant, he changes from meak and vulnerable to direct and aggressive. The trigger: the question of whether or not his mother was involved. 

**:55** \- You will probably tire of hearing me say this so frequently, but I’m going to continue to say it nonetheless. Nathaniel Blume is brilliant! This time in particular I want to discuss not his incredible score, but rather his genius use of silence. So many times in this show we have profound moments that COULD have some sort of moving score behind them. And knowing Blume, the score would be beautiful. But what I truly enjoy is how these scenes are given permission to breath, to exist in reality - a place where we don’t get moment-affirming, heart-breaking orchestrated pieces to score our lives. Seeing some of these heightened emotional scenes happen with no music behind them really allows them to plant their roots and pull the audience in. 

  * It is only at this minute marker that the music in the scene starts. Because again, Malcolm has shifted from a more timid vulnerability to the edge of an angry, tormented breakdown. Then the scene gets scored. Just delightful. 



**1:05** \- Watching Tom slow-build Malcolm’s emotions during the revelation here is a prime example of why I love this show and our cast. It’s not just the facial expressions, it’s not just the tone of his voice or his mannerisms, you can see all of Malcolm’s pain, suspicion, and hurt right there in his, admittedly hypnotizing, eyes. Throughout this season Tom continually blew me away with his ability to convey so much emotion, solely with his eyes. 

**1:42** \- Let’s talk about the glass. The moment that Malcolm actually breaks the glass in his hand is significant. He doesn’t break it when he first brings up his suspicion that his mother was involved in his father’s crimes. No. You hear the glass first start to crack when he’s talking about how his parents were “The Whitly’s” the perfect socialite family and everything was grand. ::cracking noises::. His mother would do anything to protect her perfect life ::cracking noises::. Then it shatters in his hand. The idea that Jessica might have the blood on her hands from Martin’s 23 murders all in the name of preserving her picture perfect high society lifestyle is too much for Malcolm to handle.

**1:59** \- First official track name drop… Our main theme, “We’re the Same”, pops up as Malcolm starts to storm out of the session and Dr. Le Deux says, “You’re in crisis”. Martin, in music form, drops in to say “Hi” and remind us all that HE’S THE REASON FOR ALL OF THIS! 

**2:08** \- Malcolm: sees Gil’s calling about a murder investigation “THANK GOD.” Bless. 

**2:14** \- The first of numerous shots in which the main character(s) in the scene are completely silhouetted. A recurring theme throughout this episode. We will chat more about this later. 

**2:22** \- Gil doesn’t know what a social media influencer is. We all wish we didn’t, sir. Bask in your glorious ignorance on this topic. 

**2:59** \- Malcolm (greeting Edrisa): “Doctor.” Edrisa: “If you’re lucky. (realizes what a stupid response that was) I mean hello.” Why is she me around any guy I find attractive? 

**3:39 & 3:57** \- Bravo to the director, lighting, and anyone else involved in these stunning close ups of Tom’s eyes. The combo of the lit tub reflecting in the eyes and water reflection across his face is visually gorgeous. 

**5:49** \- Malcolm sass! “Axel is a suspect because he’s acting suspicious” with the whole hand point. Then the smug stare. Sassy Malcolm is always entertaining when he makes an appearance.

**7:10** \- While I tend to side with Jessica in her protectiveness of Malcolm, and think that, despite her flaws, she’s an incredibly strong female character (look at what this woman has been through!), I have to call foul on her tendency to just let herself into her son’s apt and lurk, awaiting his return. Let’s go ahead and exit that helicopter there momma bear. 

Statistically, she has to have been there at least once when Malcolm was bringing a date back right? There’s a scene we deserve to see. 

**7:40** \- From Malcolm’s point of view, especially at this moment when he’s fairly certain his mother knew about or played a part in Martin’s murders, this scene only furthers his suspicions. Here’s why: 

  * Jessica has just revealed that Martin has agreed to remove Malcolm from his visitor’s list. This is a BIG deal! She’s cutting off Malcolm’s information supply. With TGITB looming over him, that’s a low blow to Bright. 
  * Jessica forcibly removing his ability to see Martin does sound a little sketchy. If you’re Malcolm, and think she’s involved, this looks a lot like Jessica attempting to keep you from the person who might rat her out.
  * Jessica swore she would never return to see Martin. She kept that vow for 20 years, but she broke it for this. Bright immediately thinks that the only thing that would motivate her to go see him is covering her own behind. 
  * It’s intriguing that when Malcolm asks what price Jessica paid for the removal from the list, she immediately deflects defensively. What did she compromise for that agreement? 



**8:40** \- Malcolm point-blank asks Jessica if she knew about the murders. When I first watched this episode, I thought for sure him confronting her would be drawn out for a few episodes, that he would wrestle with the consequences of asking and the audience would have to wait to learn the true answer. Here we are, less than ten minutes into this episode and he just outright asked her. It’s a nice change, a way to mix it up. Sure, it takes us until the end of the episode to know the truth, but still I enjoyed the curve ball. 

**9:04** \- Bellamy channeling her inner Dynasty with that smack. Fun fact: According to Tom’s twitter account, she smacked him five times while shooting the scene. Ouch. 

**9:28** \- Jess: “Your father’s in your head.” Malcolm: “So are you.” This dialogue is so profound and revealing for both the viewer and Jessica. For Jessica, it’s the first time she sees herself alongside Martin in Malcolm’s list of stressors. While her knee jerk response is to respond with her trademark Jessica Snark, for a brief moment before her reply, you can see that to be lumped in with Martin, to see that she is causing Malcolm pain as well, actually stuns and hurts her. 

**10:05** \- I absolutely adore the version of “We’re the same” that is bass, cello, and piano heavy. Yes, I played cello in an orchestra for 11 years so I am partial. But the deeper instruments can give off such a beautifully chilling tone. Layering the piano on top of it is just enough to keep it from being a scene in a horror film. Ah Nathaniel Blume, you creative mastermind, you. 

**10:59** \- “Did she know about your murders?” 

When he doesn’t get a satisfactory answer from his mother, Malcolm goes directly to Martin and asks the same question. He gets yet another deflective answer. Looking at this as someone who already knows the ending of this episode, we see that Martin is doing what he does best, manipulating Malcolm for his own benefit. He knows if he outright answers, his son may never return. If he makes it look like Jess might have been involved, the carrot has been stringed and is dangling out in front of Malcolm. Until he figures out the truth, he needs Martin to help him. “The truth, that takes time. And it can’t be shouted through protective glass.” Martin is literally holding the truth hostage. The ransom: more of Malcolm’s time, and by default his sanity. 

**12:20** \- Dani asks Bright if he’s okay. So, much about this short scene is significant: 

  * The entirety of this scene is scored by a slow piano ballad version of the “We’re the Same” theme. Malcolm is discussing his incredibly dysfunctional family issues with someone who’s an outsider. More on that in a moment.
  * If JT, or honestly even Gil, had walked up to Malcolm and asked if he was okay, he would have likely said “yeah” and moved on. But it’s Dani asking. Now there could be multiple reasons why he chooses to confide in her. It’s been made clear to us since the pilot that these two have, at the very least, bonded in the platonic sense. Watching their trust and relationship grow throughout the season was one of my favorite parts of PS.



  *     * I know the fandom is divided on their beliefs of whether or not that bond is growing (or should grow) into one of a more romantic nature. While I have my personal beliefs on Brightwell (the Dani/Malcolm ship name, if you’re unaware), I’m going to try and be as objective as possible in my analysis, hitting both the platonic and potentially romantic cues as they happen. Take them as you wish. 
    * At this point I don’t see a lot of anything other than a platonic moment of concern on Dani’s part here. If you’re a Brightwell shipper, it could indeed be considered a cute caring moment at the beginning of that particular journey. Otherwise, it’s nice to see Dani notice Malcolm’s going through something and genuinely ask him if he’s okay. She even playfully urges him to confide in her by making the “never better shaky hand” joke. Malcolm feels comfortable enough to discuss his issues with her, something we don’t see him do with a lot of people. 



**15:39** \- “Could you not touch me with your shaky bandage hand?” To date, still one of my favorite JT lines ever. I also appreciate that right after Dani and Malcolm have a moment, so do JT and Malcolm. However, the roles are reversed and Malcolm isn’t the one confiding, JT is. Despite his best efforts, JT is actually starting to, dare I say it, tolerate the former Mr. “Oh hell no”. 

**16:14** \- Okay I’m just gonna say it… most unbelievable “trip” over a pile of trash ever. 

**16:30** \- I have a great appreciation of JT and Malcolm’s version of “Good cop/Bad cop”, which basically involves Malcolm being a nuisance and JT pretending he can’t (and/or literally can’t) control what “Crazy Bright” does. It’s both entertaining and proof that our boy is growing on Mr. Tarmel. 

**16:39** \- “I have a shaky hand. I got it from my dad.” You have to appreciate the fact that Bright can joke about it, you know. Gotta love that “laugh now; cry later” mentality. 

**17:09** \- How perfect is Malcolm turning the camera back on the stalker? Poetic. Snarky. Loving it. 

**20:00** \- “You could tell him your hands are tied.” In true Sassy Malcolm fashion (I forgot how much there was in this episode), our profiler spouts off to Gil in reference to JT not being happy that a suspect will be released. What this really references is Gil’s earlier comment about Malcolm asking for his mother’s interview footage from the night his father was arrested: “The NYPD is never going to release those tapes for personal reasons. My hands are tied.” When Malcolm is determined to get to the bottom of something, he will do whatever it takes to figure it out. The fact that Gil is hindering his personal “investigation” is a source of bitterness for Malcolm. 

**20:44** \- Jessica confronts Martin. Much to unpack here: 

  * I have a hard time believing that a wealthy socialite still has a 20+ year old dress just hanging there in her closet. I’m definitely not from money culture, but wouldn’t that be considered “so last season?”



  * Okay, looking back at the ending of episode three. We, the audience, are led to believe that Jessica is confronting Martin from the belief that he is having affair(s). She has just left the basement with Malcolm who has now, in her understanding, seeon one of these girls sneaking out. 
  * What’s interesting is Martin’s side of the conversation here. Does he know she’s confused and thinks he’s seeing other women? Or does he think he is caught and just straight up goes with the convo as though he’s busted and she knows he’s a serial killer. The best part is we don’t know. And barring any revelation from a writer, we won’t ever know. But, debating it is still quite enjoyable. I’m not the only one who spends a long time debating these kinds of things about a television show right? Guys? 
  * “We can still keep our life, Jess, our perfect family. We don’t have to throw it all away. But I don’t get to make that decision. You do.” 
    * This quote in particular is what makes the “does Martin think she knows he's a killer” debate so intriguing. 



  * Also, we now see that Jessica remembers this specific conversation, this moment. Martin is letting her choose to speak up about him or keep quiet and go about their lives as usual. Obviously, she chose the latter. And now, looking back, she has to live with this realization: how many more people did he kill after she made her decision?



**22:44** \- “Technically, I’m a consultant. Well, at least until my boss fires me, which at this point seems inevitable.” As long as you acknowledge the situation, sweetie.

**23:31** \- Malcolm’s interaction with Roger. 

  * This is the first time we see Malcolm be genuinely manipulative ::cough:: like a relative of his we know ::cough::. Make no mistake about it, his interactions with Roger both on the street and in the hospital were inexcusably horrid. 
    * First - he shows a man, who he knows for a fact is in love with the victim, the crime scene photo of her dead body for the purpose of guilting him into telling the police something that’s actually incriminating. Which, just in case we’ve forgotten, is indeed in the constitution as something he DOES NOT have to do. 5th amendment anyone?



    * Then - After Roger gets run down with a vehicle and is in the hospital, Malcolm learns that his injuries are minor. He however, walks right over to Roger and blatantly lies to him about his condition, telling him that he IS GOING TO DIE. Which is 1) immoral and 2) ILLEGAL if you’re lying in the name of obtaining evidence for a case. 
    * The writers, in a brilliant move, break the tension of Malcolm’s appalling behavior with a bit of humor: Roger’s line - “I can’t die. I have a cat.” And we all laugh. They do this because they are wise enough to know that everything about what Malcolm is doing should make us dislike him, stop trusting him, lose respect for him. But, they can’t have us feeling that way about our lead. 
    * You know who else the writers use this “manipulate and chuckle” tactic with? You guessed it. MARTIN WHITLY. Hmmm...



**26:55** \- “We had a fight… it was biblical, Shakespearean. Someday Lin Manuel Miranda will rap about it.” As both an English teacher and a massive broadway fan, this reference is just pristine. Also, how fitting, given the recent release of Hamilton? Good timing, Ang. That, and not the fact that I’ve been potty training a three year old, is definitely why this analysis took so long. 

**27:09** \- Ainsley: “I’m starting to think I’m the only one in this family that could actually handle visiting him.” She is of course speaking about Martin. That interest is sparked, we’ve seen it already. Ainsley is craving a relationship with her father or at least a chance to talk with him face to face. To make matters worse, Jessica lets it slip that Martin watches all of her reports and is basically her biggest fan. Ainsley lights up. The idea that her father watches her, has given his approval, and is proud of her makes her genuinely happy. Oh, to have seen these cues earlier. 

**32:50** \- The sting: 

  * “What happens next time? What are you going to do then? Continue to protect them? Lie for them? They’re family right?” 
    * Another callback to Malcolm being convinced that Jessica was a part of his father’s misdeeds. 
  * “You can still be scared of family.” 
    * I know the typical template for the case of the week is to find some way to link it back to Malcolm and his struggles, but could this short monologue be any more fitting? Well done, writers, well done! 
  * “Leaving me here is the same as doing it. You’re complicit. How are you going to face your family? How are you going to live with what you’ve done?” 
    * See previous praise and explanation.   




**33:52** \- I’m sorry, but any time I see someone hold a gun sideways on screen, all I can hear is Steve Carell in Date Night, yelling “Killshot. It’s a killshot!” Which is humorous, yes. But so is anyone who intends to fire a weapon in that stance and expects to have any kind of precision. Although, arguably from that distance I suppose it will likely work out for him, nonetheless. 

**34:54** \- “Your hands are cold.” 

  * This scene starts off as slightly mocking on Dani’s part, “For a second there I thought you were really scared.” But then Malcolm follows with, “Trust beats fear. I knew you were coming.” This response has something of a double meaning seeing as how the “you” can be interpreted as “you” the team or “you” Dani. Interpret it how you see fit. Either way, the fact that he already trust them/her enough to have a gun pointed in his face and believe that they/she will have his back is significant 
  * Top it off with the “why are your hands so cold” adorableness as Dani touches his chest (going for the wire) and her “Okay, tough guy” response. I’d have to label this scene as leaning on the side of flirtatious.



**36:32** \- Before we get into the glory that is the scene in which Malcolm watches the tape, I’d like to pose two questions:

  1. Does Malcolm seriously think that his mother admitted to knowing about what her husband was doing in that interview, and then the NYPD just went “Okay, thanks. You’re free to go”? Wouldn’t the fact that she wasn’t ever indicted or sent to prison give him some sort of clue about the contents of the tape? To those who would argue “Well, she could still have known about Martin and not said it in the interview”. Yes. She absolutely could have, but that still negates the necessity to watch this tape. Maybe he intended to look for autonomic tells? Perhaps things the NYPD might have missed in the late 90s? I certainly hope he wasn’t expecting a full out admittance. 
  2. Where did Gil pull that giant tape from? You can’t tell me his pockets are big enough to hold that. Did he stash it in his pants like a hidden weapon? These are the important things I need to know. 



**37:00** \- Malcolm watches the tape

  * Let me first acknowledge the fandom’s epic “where did the TV come from/go” question. And did he just have a VCR laying around as well? Quite frankly I have no answer. I’m just as perplexed as you are. Anyone have an answer from the sources on this? I’d love to hear it. 



  * On to more pressing matters: Dear Television Academy, I humbly (but also vehemently, and at loud disciples) submit to you, for your consideration, Mr. Tom Payne. He is nothing short of spectacular in this scene. Watching him transition from angry, to surprise (at Gil’s voice), then slowly realizing Jessica’s innocence is transcendent. The tears that build slowly until they silently spill out, first in pain and fear, then in relief. I literally don’t have the words to describe his performance in this scene. Phenomenal just seems too mediocre. 



  * What’s even more impressive is the fact that Tom didn’t necessarily plan to respond that way to the video: “I hadn’t really prepped myself for how I was going to react to the video, and I just burst into tears every single time” ([Tom Payne](https://www.tvinsider.com/824135/prodigal-son-season-1-episode-6-tom-payne-malcolm-bright-dani/)). Folks, our lead is a gift. Appreciate him accordingly. 



**38:16** \- Oh my word the framing and lighting here. The video perfectly silhouetting Malcolm. Gorgeous! He’s completely black here, as is his emotional state. Beautiful. 

**38:35** \- Tom manages to cry TWO TEARS out of the same eye at once. Seriously, sir? How? My heart. I can’t with this perfectly tortured close up.

**38:43** \- Now, I know I said earlier how meaningful it is that so many of the scenes in Prodigal Son are allowed to exist without a score behind them. Allow me to take the complete opposite opinion for this scene. WOW, NATHANIEL BLUME! This song, titled “The Video From That Night”, is superb. At first you hardly notice it’s there. The strings are soft, almost generic notes nothing we’re particularly familiar with. Then, the piano joins, and as Malcolm watches the video, the song slowly crescendos alongside his emotions. And, finally, the moment of truth. When Jessica says, “I thought it was another woman,” the music shifts, still crescendoing, into an emotionally devastating version of the “We’re the Same” theme. It’s exquisite and one of my favorite musical moments from the season. Frisson. Everywhere. 

**39:06** \- Malcolm touching the television to comfort his mother, rips my heart out every time. The relief. The guilt that he had accused her. All of it written on his face. Such a gripping performance. 

  * Another random question: Why was Gil so against Malcolm watching this tape? Given it’s contents, given that he was there listening to Jessica say those things, why would he not have shoved the tape in Malcolm’s face as soon as he heard his suspicions? It would have immediately squashed the whole ordeal. Okay, maybe he wasn’t sure if he could get it out of evidence, but then why wouldn’t he just tell Malcolm he was there and what she said? 
  * Also, I feel like the “Mrs. Whitly” and the “You’re the officer that arrested Martin”, and the lack of familiarity definitely plays into the timeline of **SPOILER ALERT** Gil and Jessica’s past potential romance. More to come on that in 119. 



**40:36** \- Adolpho spotting! 

**41:11** \- Malcolm, don’t pull this “If you told your kids you did charity work we’d be less likely to accuse you of being complicit to murder” BS. You straight up apologize to your mother and take responsibility for your actions, Mister.

**42:25** \- Affectionate Whitly family hug. 

**42:53** \- Ainsley, Ainsley, Ainsley. Props to Halston Sage here for expertly delivering her mixture of utter fear and absolute excitement at being in her father’s cell. Looking back at her performance throughout the season is one of the bigger things I was excited about analyzing and we are finally starting to get into some good moments with her. 

See you next episode!


	5. 105 - The Trip

Disclaimer: This episode happens to be in my top 3. I’m going to do my best not to fangirl, any more than I typically would at least. 

**:05** \- The fact that Malcolm is attempting to pep talk himself into a decent slumber is a morbid kind of hilarious. When you add the final giant gulp of, what I’m assuming is, whiskey (given comments in future episodes) to the cavalcade of medications he is on it just gets worse. Can someone please get this man a decent cat nap?

 **:24** \- I wouldn’t be able to sleep with that traffic light (?) blinking in my face all night either. You’ve got money coming out of every orifice, Malcolm. Invest in some window tint or blackout curtains, man. 

**:35** \- “We’re the same” - This line is a common thread throughout the season. Honestly it’s one of the main themes of the entire story thus far. Is Malcolm like his father? Is he capable of killing, of doing the things his father has done? The psychological issues he struggles with only compound his worry that he could someday snap. But always the underlying fear for Malcolm is “are we the same?”. It’s ever-present. As is the main musical theme of the show, which was given that line as a title, not by coincidence let me assure you. 

**1:50 - 2:14** \- I’ll be honest after watching this particular episode NUMEROUS times (have I mentioned it’s one of my favorites?), I just caught something I hadn’t before. This is why I love doing these deep dives! 

  * So, we know Malcolm is out walking late at night and completely exhausted - mentally and physically. The poor guy looks like hell. 
  * He spots a station wagon that for some reason, more to come on that later, sparks his interest. 



  * He hallucinates something chained and moving under a blanket in the back of the wagon. It later turns out that what he saw was not actually there. Instead it happens to be a pretty scary pooch in the back. The chains and blanket, along with the voice he thought he was hearing all disappear as part of the vision.
  * All of this I knew. What I didn’t notice until now is that once the dog barks and snaps Malcolm out of it, the car changes also, to a more modern style wagon. 



  * I always thought that the car is what drew his attention, that subconsciously he saw a model similar to one he has yet to remember being relevant. I thought that the wagon got his unknowing attention, then he simply fabricated the contents of the back due to his terrors.
  * NOPE. Our boy is so out of it that he saw a car that was vaguely, sort of similar in length, and completely projected the station wagon from his repressed memories onto it. Then he proceeded to see things in the back of this fabricated vehicle that weren’t ever there. 
  * It’s crazy how that little detail, of swapping out the car and showing the audience that it wasn’t even THAT kind of wagon, can add such depth to this already troubling moment for Bright. 



**1:59** \- This backlighting is just amazing. The shadow outline around him is both gorgeous and incredibly symbolic. You could analyze this a number of different ways, shadows tend to carry multiple meanings. It could represent something following him: his past, TGITB, his fear of becoming like his father, take your pick. But whatever it is you choose, it’s always with him - can’t escape your shadow can you? It could also represent the darkness within Malcolm in physical form, larger than his small stature, looming, dangerous. We are less than two minutes into the episode and we know things for Malcolm are going to get worse before they get better

**2:41** \- Malcolm: “Good Morning.” Jessica: “Don’t lie to your mother.” Classic. 

**4:07** \- “No murders? No kinks? No boiling bunnies? Nothing deviant at all? This is New York!” This scene has a few intriguing tidbits expertly weaved in.

  * Firstly it shows us just how reliant Malcolm is on his work to keep his mind busy. He’s a brilliant man, there’s no denying that fact. With that comes difficulty finding something that truly challenges him. A case, and putting together the puzzle pieces therein, would be that challenge. Without those distractions, his mind is left to wander. We’ve seen how that works out. 
  * The extras in this scene do a lovely job of sporadically reacting to the numerous things Bright says that should be alarming to people in law enforcement, or anyone honestly. One by one their heads pop up like meerkats. Bravo. 
  * Gil, at least, recognizes and calls out the fact that Malcolm is “off the charts manic”. It’s good to know that at least one person in his immediate family (Jess) and one person in his surrogate family acknowledge things are abnormally intense these days, even for him.
  * I’m digging the delivery from both Tom and Aurora with the “You look horrible”/ “I know right?” banter. 
  * Gotta love Malcolm revealing a little too much to Gil: M - “Where are they going?” G - “It’s not your thing.” M - “You don’t know that. I’m into all sorts of things.” 



**5:56** \- Dani info dumping the who’s who of the local drug trade. It’s relevant that Gil, the lieutenant and Dani’s superior, asks her for this info. It’s very specific intel, that the rest of her team isn’t as privy to. Malcolm immediately profiles this. 

**6:26** \- One of the dozens of things I love about this show is their ability to weave humor throughout the episodes. Sometimes it’s dark and morbid. Sometimes it’s bright and bubbly. And sometimes it's the genius that is Frank Harts doing his trademark deadpan response to something Bright said. Here it’s Malcolm questioning “Are we sure this was about drugs?” And there stands JT, next to the victim who’s doused in cocaine, staring at Malcolm in disbelief as he replies, “He’s literally covered in drugs.”

**6:50** \- This back and forth between Dani and Malcolm is the first time we really see her challenge Malcolm’s profiling. She stands up to him and gives him a little sassitude for good measure. 

  * He continues to analyze her knowledge of the drug trade. Even baits her with a question about how much the cocaine on the victim might be worth, grinning while she answers, because he’s confirmed his mini profile of her. 
  * While he does offer up some logical arguments about the M.O., Dani is confident in her past experience. She’s also aggravated at his profiling her, and doesn’t back down from her assessment. 
  * 7:30 - A bit of an escalation in the disagreement and by far the closest to an all out argument we’ve seen within the team thus far. Malcolm “politely” aka: sarcastically drops the “Well I’m NOT the expert that you are” and she happily responds with “Oh, look at that. We finally agree on something. You’re wrong.” 
  * Shout out to Gil for not just automatically taking Malcolm’s word for it. He listens to Dani’s belief that they need to sit down with the Dominican’s and agrees to set up a meeting at her behest. It would be easy for him to subconsciously side with Malcolm’s opinion, given their relationship and his expertise. But it’s refreshing that the writers had him side with her at this point. They were a team before Bright came back to NYC and he has surrounded himself with people who are good at what they do. 
  * As they exit, notice JT just takes his hand and physically moves Malcolm out of his way so he can follow Dani out. No questioning who’s side he’s on in this tiff. 
  * “Lay off the Dani profile. Not everyone’s so keen on revisiting their past.” 
    * Foreshadowing, backstory, and connection to the lead all in one sentence. This is a teacher’s happy place. 



**8:15** \- Everyone on the team crossed themselves before sitting, except for Malcolm. Since around 35% of NYC is Roman Catholic that’s not surprising. I also appreciate that Malcolm does not, therefore implying that he is either not religious or practices a different religion. My money is on not religious. Given the circumstances of his life, and his upbringing even before the reveal of his father’s transgressions, it would stand to reason that he is more scientific minded and less faith based. (I’m not saying scientific minded people can’t have faith so don’t @ me please). 

**8:37** \- Angelic glow lighting in the cathedral church. Well played. 

**9:32** \- In the middle of an important meeting with one of the major players in the drug business, Saulo Reyes, Bright hallucinates another cloth covered being. 

  * First and foremost, the score here is delightfully creepy. Low sustained bass and cello notes bring the doom and gloom The clinking chain sound effect on top of it really adds to the horror. 
  * This is the first time that we see Malcolm actually (try to) interact with his hallucinations. They’re so vivid now that they’re blending with reality and he’s genuinely trying to touch/investigate them. That is a BIG deal!



  * I’m a big fan of paying attention to what’s going on in the background. What are we being distracted from? Here's the conversation that’s happening between Saulo and Dani while we’re paying attention to Bright and his crazy: 
    * Saulo: Estime was Desir’s number two, with a bullet. Now he’s number one. 
    * Dani: That’s not true. If you didn’t order the hit, who did? Just give us a name.
    * Gil: Powell.
    * Saulo: Insubordination is a dangerous thing. One person has something to say, then all the other guys start thinking they can have an opinion. Undermine you. Sabotage the whole project. 
  * This little bit is both Saulo trying to explain his way out of suspicion for the hit, but also a nudge at Gil because Dani isn’t listening to his cues to back off. Gil answers with “You and I have different leadership styles”, acknowledging the “check your subordinate” undertone of Saulo’s comments. 



**11:07** \- I’m keeping track of how many episodes use this stock footage of officers in a bullpen. Thus far, every episode. 

**11:14** \- Dani and Malcolm’s interaction here gives us a lot of character development (as does the entire episode, but i digress): 

  * Both of them open the conversation with their version of “We good?” Neither of them apologize for the earlier confrontation, but both are timid and abnormally polite to each other initially. Testing the waters. 



  * Dani’s protectiveness of Estime, tells us a great deal about her: 
    * We know that he’s involved in a pretty substantial criminal enterprise, working for one of the larger drug distributions in the area. She claims he’s non violent, but still he’s involved.
    * If Bright’s guess that she worked in narcotics is correct, we know that this would have been at least a year ago, if not longer. So Dani is adamantly protecting a man that she either hasn’t seen in quite a while or is (as I originally thought) still connected with in some way. 
    * I initially thought there was a romantic connection between the two. That’s never officially confirmed or denied, but seems plausible given later information we get from Dani. 
    * But again, this is the first time we see her butt heads with Malcolm. She is firm in her belief about Estime and is insistent that everyone else on the team believe her, despite evidence pointing otherwise. Now that the sass fest between the two of them is over, Malcolm acknowledges that she might know the man well enough to make that call, but he doesn’t. He needs more intel from her. She looks like she might be about to divulge something, however gets interrupted by the rest of the team entering the room. 
  * We see a different side of Malcolm here as well.
    * Thus far he’s been extremely confident in his profiles, even to the point of being arrogant about them at times. In this scene he basically lays it out for Dani. I make a profile based on information. The current information points to your guy. That could potentially change if I had more intel on him, which you likely have. 
    * I appreciate that he says “I don’t know him like you do… or did.” He’s clearly fishing as to whether this is a past tense thing or a present tense thing. 
    * The key here is Bright is genuine, open, and compassionate toward Dani, while still standing his ground. 



**13:02** \- I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this in previous analysis posts, but I’m a big fan of the little micro mannerisms Tom gives Malcolm. Or maybe it’s just Tom’s mannerisms, but they work for the character, I don’t know. But the way he fidgets with his hands, or flips a pen between his fingers when Bright is thinking is fascinating. I live for the little things that actors bring to their character, whether intentional or not. 

**13:29** \- Love the fact that Malcolm immediately looks up at Dani when she “agrees” to not approach Estime until they have a warrant. The king of “Oh, yeah sure I’ll definitely wait for backup” can spot a BS agreement from a mile away. He knows. 

**13:46** \- The fact that Jessica sincerely wants to throw her substantial amount of money at any charity who would take it is both heartwarming and tragic. No one wants it. She wants so badly to be a force for good, but the stain of her former relationship shoots those efforts down time and again. The plight of the families of these horrific people really isn’t explored enough in film in my opinion. They did nothing wrong, yet they spend the rest of their lives paying the price for it. 

**14:46** \- The introduction of Eve Blanchard. ::rubs temples::. I’m a professional; I can do this. I’ll be honest and say, something felt off about Eve for me from the beginning. That being said, I watch a lot of crime dramas and basically suspect everyone is guilty until proven innocent. Ironic? Her showing up unannounced, begging for Whitly money, and having that ::Liam Neeson voice:: particular set of skills, was just too easy for me to accept. I will give credit where it is due, I have my personal feelings about the character, but Molly Griggs did a great job playing her, especially in later episodes which we will discuss when we get there. 

**15:20** \- I’ve always thought the song playing in the club scene bumped. Then I did some research:

  * The song is “Old Friend” by Elderbrook. I mean THIS THOUGH. What are the odds of finding a club-scene-worthy song with that title as our girl Dani is trying to clear an old friend’s name? ::chefs kiss::
  * Now lets talk lyrics: 
    * Oh, you're just the same as I used to know/Always playing games in the strangest ways...I should've known
    * But it's just like an old friend/Coming up, yeah, I know them… I've been looking for problems/One look and I'm all in
  * Artist Elderbrook discussed the track’s meaning in an article with Billboard ([Elderbrook](https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/dance/8487184/elderbrook-old-friend-ep-breakdown)). He says the song is about “when you hang around people you used to know and slip back into your old habits”. ::Cue record scratch::. We’ve seen this episode before, we know what Dani confesses to Malcolm in his kitchen. Her going back to that club, being back in that environment, given what happened when she was originally there, is not a good thing for her. 
  * This song… the lyrics… the subtle behind-the-action symbolism is inspired. 



**15:23** \- The camera work here and the perfect choreography of extras walking by at the exact moment to reveal Malcolm is a lovely little sleight of hand trick. Couple it with Bright’s “Come here often” and it’s not only cool visually but even a bit comical. 

**15:40** \- Smug Bright has returned. Trying to figure out why Dani would show up to the club against Gil’s orders… as he’s standing in the same club… against Gil’s orders. 

**15:58** \- Okay. So This episode is set in “Present Day” which would be fall of 2019. 

  * Later in this episode Dani Mentions leaving the undercover op in 2016. In this scene, she says she was under for two years. We don’t know Dani’s definitive age. Say she’s close to Malcolm who is 31(ish) that puts her being in narcotics and under cover around age 25 Unless she’s a few years younger than him. Which would make her 23(ish) being sent under cover.
  * The NYPD minimum age requirement for hire is 21. In addition they require 60 college credits or at least 2 years of active service duty (both of these could be completed before the 21st birthday of course). That means Dani was only in the force for a maximum of four years, possibly less, before she went under with a MAJOR drug organization in NYC. 
  * I went on this tangent to say this: Dani must have been one hell of an impressive officer to be entrusted with that assignment so young. And that means she was made a detective rather quickly as well.
  * Long story short… Dani’s a badass and I’m here for it. 



**16:56** \- Notice the awesome framing here. And the parallel stances between Dani and Malcolm. Nicely done cinematographer. Using the colorful lights from the club to help light the scene is a beautiful touch artistically as well. 

**17:20** \- Estime’s comment about Dani being his “sweet girl” who “used to party down” is our first blatant reference to what she will eventually confess later. The way she turns to glance back at Malcolm also implies she’s worried that he understood the meaning behind the comment. Then, he asks if she’s forgotten what he did for her. Clearly something big went down and he assisted. I also enjoy the fact that at this point it’s almost as if there isn’t anyone else in the room, the two acquaintances (at least) are having an inside conversation in front of Bright.

 **17:59** \- Malcolm, in full Malcolm fashion, interrupts Dani’s conversation with Estime to straight up ask how they know each other and what went down between them. Awkward much? Luckily he follows that up with some expert level profiling of Estime’s body language and almost immediately verifies Dani’s claims that her friend is not a killer. 

**18:48** \- Exploding box of narcotics. Let’s forgive the fact that Dani was clearly RIGHT next to bright and some of that airborn cocaine (?) would have DEFINITELY gotten to her. Not as much as Malcolm, who was literally a victim of narcotic powder rain, but she should have been affected by this at least a little. 

I can’t imagine that cocaine in the eyeballs feels good, for Bright either. Or maybe it does. Honestly, I have no experience in this matter so...

 **19:05** \- YAY! One of my favorite things in the entire first season: High Malcolm. 

  * Tom absolutely knocks this performance out of the park. He manages to accurately quantify the effects of the drug on Malcolm while also being incredibly comical. Additionally, he takes Malcolm's already neurotic personality traits and dials them up to hilarious levels. It just never gets old. 



  * He’s standing there clearly tripping, staring at Dani (and not Gil, who’s yelling at her and would demand attention at this moment). His attempt to help her claim about Estime is immediately derailed by his asking why everyone is “moving in slow motion”. The sincerity is just adorable. 
  * The choked up admission of Gil helping to fill the father void, and the cupping of Gil’s face. Priceless. 



**19:57** \- Tom goes from cracking up high to crying high in literally two seconds. And it gets missed because he’s in the background. Watch it. It will make you laugh every time. 

**20:00** \- Here we get our last bit of foreshadowing about Dani’s past. And quite frankly if you didn’t figure out what the big reveal is by now, you must have been asleep. At this point we get slapped across the face with it. Gil’s immediate concern for whether or not she was also exposed to the drugs tells us there's a history there. And as soon as we learn that our badass heroine might have a tainted past, we immediately shift to Malcolm mesmerized by a chandelier. High Malcolm is always there to break the intensity up with a bit of humor. 

**20:28** \- Shout out to Tom for legitimately surprising Aurora by improvising that jump onto the couch. Proof from the man himself in tweet response below. Watch her reaction, it’s gold. Again, his performance throughout this High Malcolm stuff is glorious. 

**20:34** \- Malcolm’s axe throwing gets a nice little callback in a later episode. And the sheer sincerity with which he tries to remember how many he has, when they’re likely right there on the wall in front of him, is hilarious. 

**20:28-21:40** \- An objective analysis of this scene from both a platonic friendship pov as well as a Brightwell one. 

Brightwell: 

  * So the first clue that this could be seen as a budding romantic relationship would be the line Malcolm says about how people think “Dopamine triggers pleasure, but really it’s about desire”. He says this while grabbing her and pulling her into a slow dance position and giving her the “how you doing face”. Does he desire her? When Dani warns that she’s about to kick him in the business he replies with “the business is good”. He’s talking up his own business. #cocaineconfessions
  * Brightwell shippers will call these lines the first openly flirtatious comments between the two, even if they are coming from a compromised Malcolm. It can be argued that there has to be something there in the back of Malcolm’s mind for things like that to be said while under the influence. 
  * Dani is responsible and doesn’t react to them given his condition, but she also doesn’t get aggravated and offended at him either.



Platonic: 

  * Those who don’t think Dani and Malcolm are headed down a romantic path see this scene as a moment where Dani is being as gracious as possible with a very high Bright. Basically babysitting the world's most hyperactive manchild. 
  * The physical touching and “flirty” comments from Malcolm could absolutely be viewed as strictly coming from a place of him being affected by the drugs in his system.



**21:42** \- “Wait we’re friends? Really?”

  * If you’re one of my friends reading this, I apologize in advance because you’ve already heard this a thousand times. 
  * There is something about the way Tom delivers this line, along with the subsequent little-boy tug at his vest, that just melts my heart. In this moment Malcolm is so vulnerable. And we get an honest glimpse into his life. 



  * He doesn’t have many friends. For that split second when he thinks Dani considers him as one, he lights up, and is both surprised and genuinely happy. When he says he’s out of practice with friends, he also adds the word “companionship” to that, which I take to reference romantic relationships as well. So we know Malcolm is something of a loner, both in the friendship and dating departments. 



**22:03** \- Dani opens up to Malcolm here that she has trust issues and doesn’t have a lot of friends either. However she has just mentioned that he’s unlikely to remember any of this tomorrow. So, does she admit this thinking it won’t get remembered or in earnest? 

**22:08** \- “You can trust me.” Whether you’re team friendship or team Brightwell this is such a sweet honest confession, and the beginning of something beautiful! 

**22:24** \- World’s most pretentious grilled cheese? Has anyone actually made this? Is it tasty?

 **22:42** \- I've always wondered if this vision is relevant. I’m leaning toward no, but how amazing of a callback would it be if it was maybe someone Martin killed because he saw him disposing of a body or something? I know it’s far fetched, but I’m here for it. 

**22:58** \- “Mack the Knife” by Bobby Darin. 

  * I thought for sure the song I previously researched from the club scene would reign supreme as my favorite symbolic song usage to date, literally an hour later this one has taken over. I’ll admit I’ve heard this song numerous times and even know some of the lyrics, but never really looked into its meaning. Guys…
  * I’ll link the detailed explanation here ([Mackie](https://www.shmoop.com/study-guides/music/mack-the-knife/meaning#:~:text=And%20%22Mack%20the%20Knife%2C%22,rich%20people%20and%20their%20cash.)), but this is the cliff notes version: 
    * The song has origins as an intro to the villain in The Threepenny Opera. It literally details how he’s a murderer, rapist, and arsonist- all around horrible person. The names listed in the lyrics are indeed the victims. 
    * This song was banned from numerous radio stations in 1959 when it was released by Darin due to these very facts.
    * Mack was a charmer though. He quickly wins over those around him and became known for being that ambiguous baddie. The one you can’t help but like despite his innumerable flaws (think Marvel’s Loki).
    * Who… Oh, who does this sound like? Hint: MARTIN
    * And when does this song pop up? When Malcolm starts to see The Box, and hallucinates about the girl who was in it. 
    * I just love that this is such a peppy and upbeat 50’s song that you could dance to, but then there’s the content…



**23:23** \- The hand over Malcolm’s mouth is legitimately creeping me out. Props to visual/special effects people, whoever was involved ::shivers::

**24:04** \- The hallucination in Martin’s cell. Or as I like to call it Malcolm squared. 

  * How symbolic is it that the scariest place in Bright’s mind takes the physical form of his father’s cell? Even more profound is the fact that his subconscious is what’s imprisoned, literally tethered to the wall. He’s trapped in his own psychological hell and is desperately trying to escape it.
  * They give Cell Malcolm the same angelic lighting that they give Martin in these scenes. Much appreciated callback, lighting dept. 
  * The quick cuts and editing of this scene are just artistically genius. All the little smiles, and comments from past episodes are flashes of the things that have led our boy here. 
  * Cell Malcolm sounds so much like Martin it’s scary. The cadence with which he speaks, the know- it-all explanations, his facial expressions... I’m assuming this was a conscious choice by Tom/creative team. It’s too perfect not to have been. 



  * The score song here, “Find the Shoebox” brings back all the “Jaws” esque low string notes from the pilot. There’s lots of almost X-Files ish sound effects that float around along with the notes. Something that’s really cool, if you’re listening to the actual song file (which you can do now because the score has been released!), the music floats back and forth from one ear to another. If you close your eyes it literally creates a back and forth wave motion in your head. 



**25:24** \- Layering Dani knocking on the bathroom door into the background of the hallucination is a witty way to ground us as the viewer. Remind us that this isn’t reality, that Malcolm is in his bathroom absolutely losing it while he sees this in front of him and not the actual room around him. The crazier the vision gets the more we can hear her. “Bright? You good?” 

**25:59** \- Let’s talk about the symbolism of Cell Malcolm “stabbing” our boy. He’s standing there, holding a box full of forgotten memories, and then stabs him in the heart. Much like what the contents of that box will do once Malcolm dives into it. Bright’s mind is trying to kill him. 

**26:14** \- Hear ye, hear ye. My name is Angie and I am here to defend Dani’s punching Malcolm. I’ve seen quite a bit of hate out there in the interwebs aimed toward her actions in this scene. Let’s break down her situation: she’s taking care of a man the same size (sorry, Tom it’s true) as she is, who’s arguably stronger though and, given his FBI background, probably a decent fighter (looking at you writers). He’s tripping balls, on a pretty legitimate amount of narcotics, and he’s resisting your attempts to restrain him and calm him down. Would I have resorted to trying to aggressively reset his brain? Yep. 

**27:32** \- Dani’s addiction. Can I just say how much I love a good past drug addiction story line, especially when the character is in a position where that information could be ruinous. I’m a sucker I know. We learn that Dani’s loyalty to Estime comes from him keeping her identity as a cop a secret, as well as him saving her when she overdosed.

It’s interesting to note Malcolm’s reaction to this news as well. No judgement, no scolding, no side eye. He listens to Dani’s story and that’s it. 

**29:21** \- Why didn’t Jessica revert back to her maiden name? First thing’s first. I appreciate Jess’s mentality of “I’m not going to run from the name I’m going to do good with it”. However honey your timeline does NOT add up. Let assume Jessica is meant to be 50, which seems a few years low for her character but just to make it a round number. Malcolm is 31 ish. So that puts Jessica as giving birth to him at 19 and the arrest happening at 30. NO WAY would she have been a Whitly longer than a Milton. And that number only gets more wrong if we age her up a few years (which makes more sense honestly). So yeah, Jess (moreover, writers). While I agree with your badass attitude this timeline just doesn’t work. 

**32:36** \- Heart to heart in the car highlights:

  * Malcolm’s genuine apology to Dani, after they learn that Estime’s love died and they think he is indeed the killer they’re looking for, is very sweet.
  * Him taking the credit as “the best” and Dani immediately calling him out as not who she was talking about.



  * Tom’s reaction face when Dani reveals Gil told her the same phrase “Police work is patience”. Even though he’s not in focus, the realization is adorable. 



  * “People have said my childhood was weird. I don’t see it.” Bright’s wonderfully morbid humor. 
  * “Turns out Gil saved us both”. Papa Gil swoon! 



**34:22** \- Malcolm, in the most ironic imperative sentence ever, tells Dani to wait for backup. You… of all people, sir? 

**34:40** \- Malcolm: “You don’t have to face him alone.” Dani: “I think I do.” Very next shot: Malcolm at Dani’s side when she confronts Estime. Platonic, romantic, whatever you want to call it, it’s some serious “I’ve got your back” vibes. 

**34:50** \- So, @Creative_chaos, I’m stealing your talking point, but I just gave you credit so we’re cool right? (You can take this statement as again either romantic or platonic between Dani and Malcolm) The fact that Malcolm steps back and allows Dani to take the verbal lead here with Estime means something. When it comes to the workings of a killer’s psyche, he is definitely the expert. But, he knows that Dani’s connection to this case is important, and doesn’t force himself into the lead spot. He does eventually try to help talk Trini down from slitting Estime’s through, once she’s revealed as the actual killer. However, when they thought it was Estime, the one Dani had a connection with, he didn’t overstep her. 

**38:53** \- Classic fake-a-dude’s-death-so-he-can-escape-the-people-trying-to-kill-him. 

**40:32** \- Malcolm profiling/remembering which specific type of tea Dani likes is just the cutest thing. His actually spouting the textbook answer to the very rhetorical “What would Freud say to that” question is such a Malcolm thing to do as well. 

  * Malcolm’s response: That unresolved emotional conflicts often manifest in dreams, because a representation of the true problem in our subconscious is far less damaging to the ego than processing the actual object in the conscious…
  * Sounds exactly like a certain someone’s terrors. 



**41:36** \- “Drink more tea, with friends” #Goals

 **42:07** \- If we’re profiling the stickers on his shoebox, young Malcolm was really into fast cars, aliens, Chinese style dragons, and revolvers. Do with that what you wish. Also, dying to know what ticket stubs those are. Tried to zoom, too blurry and or blocked the event title. Anyone? 

**43:08** \- The station wagon is revealed. The pieces are starting to fit together. Malcolm may have hallucinated the wagon before, but that vision comes from a very real vehicle. Dum dum dummmmmmmm. 

See you next ep! 


	6. 106 - All Souls and Sadists

**106 - All Souls and Sadists**

**:05** \- This opening picks up where the end of episode 4 left off: Ainsley visiting her father in his cell at Claremont. This is the first time she has seen him in person since she was five years old. I just want to open by giving Halston Sage some serious props for her portrayal of Ainsley in this scene. She does an amazing job with the vulnerability vs. the legitimate curiosity and craving for daddy’s love and approval. 

**:34** \- Martin: It seems a little exploitative. But then again I’ve been exploiting others my whole life.

Ainsley: As a serial killer?

Martin: No. As a white man. We’re terrible.

The best jokes are the ones that are based on truth. And boy is this one ever. That topped with both the shock of Martin’s answer, as well as Michael’s absolutely expert delivery, this line is just golden. But I’d like to take this moment to remind everyone that while he may be charming and funny, MARTIN WHITLY KILLED 23 PEOPLE! He’s not someone we should be falling for harder than Ainsley. 

Not only Martin’s true statement in joke form quite hilarious, but watch Ainsley’s response. She’s trying to hold firm and not show it, but that joke won her over. She’s warming up to him quickly. Almost as though she’s been desperate for any sort of attention he would give her or something. 

**1:35** \- And a minute later, Chuckles the serial killer has vanished and The Manipulator has returned in full swing. THIS IS WHY YOU CAN’T HAVE NICE THINGS, AINSLEY.

**1:43** \- I should have started a tally of extreme close up shots of Tom’s eyes. Drat! Either way, the creative team knows that when you’ve got something as gorgeous as those baby blues, on an actor that can literally emote through them in ways that should be illegal, you use them at every turn. 

**2:00** \- Salesman: (Referencing the trunk space of the station wagon) There’s tons of room back there. It’s perfect for a family trips or the big kill. 

Malcolm: {Stares wide eyed}

Salesman: Well you know, if you’re into hunting. 

Malcolm: That’s more my dad’s thing. 

Malcolm decides to search for every wood-paneled land yacht in the city. We are only at two minutes in and here we are with another prime punchline delivery. This time however it’s a far more deadpan retort on Malcolm’s part to a recipient that doesn’t get the joke. We do however and it’s hilarious. How much therapy must it take to be able to make these jokes to himself “shaky hand. Got it from my dad”, “That’s more my dad’s thing”. This is what progress sounds like. 

**2:14** \- Second stunning close up of Mr. Payne’s eyes. Okay I’m starting a tally for just this episode. 

**4:20** \- I’d forgotten how frequently we see Dr. Le Deux in the early episodes. It follows that perhaps, as things get crazier in later episodes, maybe Malcolm isn’t taking care of himself as much as he should. But that’s an analysis for a much later time. Now we see Malcolm’s shock as Dr. Le Deux gives him the benefit of the doubt and goes with the theory that these memories are indeed real. 

As soon as Gabrielle says “If you follow your trauma to its source…” AKA Martin, up pops the “We’re the same” theme. He’s always there screwing with Malcolm’s mind. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a show do so many variations of one theme before, molding each version to reflect both the underlying trauma as well as whatever the particular scene requires. It’s quite fun as a musician to search for them. 

**5:22** \- Another tidbit I’ve never caught in previous viewings! As Gil leads Malcolm to the crime scene, Malcolm says “Hey, Gil. Why am I here? A stabbing in the woods doesn’t seem horrific enough for a profiler.” For the first and ONLY time in the history of everdom, Malcolm isn’t exactly psyched to be on a case. Why? Because this is interfering with his station wagon hunt. He’s got his own personal mission at the moment and this murder just so happens to be interrupting it. 

It’s also a nice reminder that Malcolm isn’t there on a daily basis. The team only calls him in on special occasions. That’s easy to forget given the nature of the show and us needing to have Malcolm interacting with the team. 

**5:39** & **5:42** \- Eye shots numbers 3 and 4. For anyone keeping track. 

**5:47** \- Hey Edrisa! Been a minute, sis. Glad we get more of you as the season progresses. 

**6:12** \- This is approximately the third or fourth time they’ve done a close up of the freaky twisted broken ankle. Let’s go ahead and not continue with that. Okay? 

**7:03** \- Edrisa: “God, you’re great.” Once again, Edrisa as the physical manifestation of the PS fandom toward Tom. Agreed Edrisa. Agreed. 

**8:38** \- Bright projecting his 11 year old self onto young Isaac is both heartbreaking and beautiful. He truly identifies with this child who’s going through something traumatic so young. Since we’ve all seen this before, I also want to talk about how this is the first time we see Malcolm allow his personal feelings to blind him on a case.

I’ll be honest, the minute I saw this kid and the actor’s portrayal (as well as heard the names he gave his pets) I was pretty confident he was our baddie. He just oozed this creepy mojo. Now I’m not dogging Malcolm in any way for bring his powers of super empathy into this particular case, but he was immediately so blinded by his own pain, projected onto Isaac, that he missed some pretty decent red flags. 

**8:51** \- Shoutout to the bunnies, Jeffery and Edwin. One named after Jeffery Dahmer and the other named after two possible Edwin serial killers: Edwin Snelgrove - who was a double murderer in the 60s or Edwin Kaprat - AKA “The Granny Killer” who murdered 4 elderly women and one man over the course of 3 years in the early 90s. Nothing says here’s my adorable pet like naming them after a prolific murderer. “And this is my fish, John Wayne Gacy…”

****

**10:38** \- In a poetic full-circle moment, Malcolm offers comfort to Isaac, who has just lost his father, in the form of hard candy. This is how big Gil’s impact has been on Bright. It seems like a small, even silly, gesture. But in fact, this has greatly affected Malcolm his entire life. It is a major coping mechanism for him, and now he’s continuing the tradition. 

**11:03** \- Ainsley drops the “I’m interviewing dad” bomb over dinner. 

  * Jess is right honey, the only reason you’re the “normal” (laughs inwardly from the future) Whitly is because you aren’t/haven’t been in regular contact with Martin. This man is the King Midas of psychological manipulation. Everything he touches turns to shit. 
  * Meanwhile, Malcolm is genuinely terrified for his sister. Where Jessica sits straight up, “forbids” the interview, and shows a strong, angry front. Malcolm is hunched over, mouth agape, scared and worried that his father will ruin Ainsley too.



**12:39** \- “You know what they say: Those who can’t remember their past are condemned”. I still crack up at this line. Given that the original saying is “Those who dwell on the past are doomed to repeat it”, it’s just a morbidly hilarious Brightism and I thoroughly enjoy it. It may be humorous, but it’s also a bleak reminder that Malcolm genuinely feels as though he’s going insane. That if he doesn’t figure this mystery out soon, then things are going to end very badly for him. He’s not exactly wrong to be honest. 

**13:46** \- Just as Dr. Le Deux predicted, Malcolm is now having extremely vivid hallucinations with no catalysts whatsoever. They’re blending with reality so well that Malcolm resorts to trying to burn himself with a candle to see what’s real and what isn’t. This ultimately leads to him accidentally setting his suit jacket on fire. The delusions are legitimately life-threatening now. The music as Malcolm tries to put out the flames, is textbook early horror film. You can practically see the dramatic hand wielding a butcher knife as it stabs the victim. Fitting given that’s a wonderful metaphor for what Martin is doing to Malcolm’s psyche. 

**13:48** \- I was positive that episode 119 was the first time we hear Malcolm call Martin “dad”. I was wrong. Granted it's hallucination Martin not the actual one, but Malcolm is legitimately saying it nonetheless. 

**14:45** \- Speaking of delusion, Martin in group therapy discussing how his “little girl” wants to interview him and “wants a relationship”. The wistful looks and smiles as he discusses how wonderful it made him feel. While he’s not entirely wrong, it’s clear that Ainsley is searching for some sort of relationship with her father, she didn’t exactly roll in there arms wide begging for a hug. 

**16:02** \- Watch Martin as Tevin speaks in this scene: 

  * Firstly, he is definitely looking down upon Tevin, a fellow murderer, as a lesser. Someone with no vision or expertise to live up to his own. 
  * Then, watch Martin’s wheels turn as Tevin talks. He’s already devising a plan, one that will come to fruition in the next episode. He knows exactly how he can use Tevin for his own benefit. 



**17:01** \- “The former… no the latter. I always get those two mixed up.” I’m intrigued as to whether this was the original line of dialogue or if Tom accidentally messed it up and just covered for himself smoothly. If so, props to Aurora for rolling with it… professionals right there. 

**18:25** \- Jake’s Gym. AKA: ONLY THE SECOND TIME WE SEE PROOF THAT BRIGHT WAS IN THE FBI AND/OR CAPABLE OF DEFENDING HIMSELF

  * Sorry, had to get that out of my system. With the exception of the continual rotation between Martin being a psychopath or a sociopath, this is my biggest bone of contention with the series. 
    * Malcolm Bright was in the FBI. Which means he HAS to have passed a firearms qualification as well as at the very least basic hand to hand combat training. 
    * Dear PS Writers, USE THIS MORE! 
  * As a high school English teacher, Malcolm’s entire, annoying teenager persona as he’s trying to piss off Jake is both a) dead on and b) hilarious. 



  * 18:51 - I see this, an average of 20 times a day at work. 



  * Look Look Look! Bright, masterfully profiling a suspect, whilst legitimately kicking some ass. Sigh. 
  * Loving Gil’s magical appearance at the end, little badge flash, “let’s talk”. Classic. 



  * Bright in the expensive suits is wonderful, but Bright in casual clothes… ::chef’s kiss:: This is a hill I’m willing to die on. 



**21:30** \- The tag team sarcasm from Malcolm and Gil here is a mood. 

**23:45** \- Dani is one of the few people who straight up questions Malcolm’s profiles from time to time. “Maybe your profile’s wrong.” I appreciate this. Sometimes Gil tries to be too nice, and let Bright down easy, given their father/son relationship. JT might make sarcastic remarks, but he rarely outright challenges Malcolm, mostly because the few times he has thus far, Bright has intellectually shut him down. Dani on the other hand, gives zero effs about challenging Malcolm’s definitive belief that the profile is always right. 

**25:44** \- Malcolm, takes his incidental lie to Isaac very hard. He sees himself in the boy, his same struggles and pain. Now he thinks that he has made it all worse by telling him that things would be okay. 

**27:02** \- Ainsley and Jessica bicker over her interview.

  * Ainsley: I don’t know anything about him. Everything I know has been colored by your resentment.  
Jessica: Well that and all the people he killed.  
This line shows just how deep Ainsley is already. She hasn’t even actually done the interview and she’s already drinking the Martin kool-aid. She’s bitter that everything she knows about her father comes from Jessica’s resentment. Speaking as though they had a falling out, or maybe he cheated on Jess and that’s why she’s the jaded socialite. No, Ainsley. Your father MURDERED 23 (at least) PEOPLE! There is no coloring that with anything other than contempt and disgust. 
  * Ainsley: You made him out to be just a monster.  
As opposed to……? How else does one describe a person capable of ending a couple dozen lives?



**27:35** \- In a call back to the opening scene, we finally learn what the ”real question” is that Martin wants Ainsley to ask: “Was it real. Did you love us? Or was it just some psychopathic act?” 

  * My jury is still out on this one. I’m not sure Martin is capable of what you or I call love. Not in the unconditional way that a husband and a parent should love his family. I think he cares for them in a more possessive, in control sort of way. I think he craves their attention and loves the idea of that perfect happiness. But is Martin actually capable of pure genuine love? I’m not so sure. 
  * This also reveals the truth behind Ainsley’s quest for an interview. Yes it may help advance her career, but the reality is, she wants to know if her father ever actually loved her. Something that has shaped her own emotional availability and interactions since he was taken 20 years ago. 



**27:45** \- Martin’s response: “I have thought about you every single day since my arrest”. He gives a detailed speech about all the things he imagined missing. It’s contrived and meticulously worded to make her feel his “pain” at everything he missed. He manages to self deprecate, tell her he will never forgive himself and she shouldn't either through tears that don’t actually fall. Notice he never says “Yes.” or “I love you” at all! Because he’s incapable! 

**29:02** \- Jess hits the nail right on the head, “He made you love him.” That single monologue, with all it’s fake emotions, sprinkled with humor, and the “I’ll never forgive myself” dramatics did exactly what Martin wanted it to. He won her over completely. 

**30:10** \- Gabrielle, twice in one episode. This is new. 

**31:16** \- This moment of realization, the way Tom plays it, is quite creatively done. Is interesting to have Malcolm’s therapist complementing his humanity and ability to search for the good in everyone, especially this little boy who reminds Bright of himself. As soon as she makes that comment, you can practically see the “a-ha” light above Malcolm’s head. 

**32:10** \- Bunnycide 

  * Admittedly, I’ve never raised rabbits, but I feel like buying a new cage every time one dies (or is brutally murdered by your homicidal son) is wasteful. 



**33:31** \- “What’s in the bag, Bright?” 

  * Malcolm traveled with that plastic bag bunny carcass. Whether it was, by train, taxi, or town car, Malcolm had that grocery bag full of rabbit remains right next to him the whole time. Let that sink in. #Brightlife 



**35:56** \- Not gonna lie. Creepy homicidal twelve year old hiding under the table in a werewolf mask- that’s the stuff nightmares are made of. Isaac had to seem like a legitimately terrifying match for Mr. Krav Maga alpha male testosterone factory. Honestly, in this scene, he does. You can have all the muscles in the world, but they still split open just the same when the killer preteen slashes you with a kitchen knife. 

*Side note - I can’t be the only one who was a little excited this guy got taken down a notch right? Does that say something about me? ::Chandler Bing voice:: What’s wrong with me? Oh, don’t open that door. 

**37:52** \- You have to appreciate that the Halloween episode has an almost shot for shot callback to Halloween the film. The character (Malcolm) is slowly ascending the stairs, looking for the killer. We see a blurry version of the killer behind them. They turn their head and the killer comes into focus, in a halloween mask, holding a bloody knife. Prime reference, indeed. 

**38:50** \- “When my dad was taken from me, I didn’t talk for months.” Let’s explore more of this in the future please, writers! Feel free to make my head canon that Gil and Jackie pulled him out of it, official canon at your discretion.

**39:13** \- Throughout this scene, when Malcolm is trying to talk Isaac down, the song “Something Inside is Broken” from the score plays. It’s eerie feel sticks with the Halloween episode’s theme, but as Malcolm confesses that he too knows what it’s like to feel broken, there's a slightly modified version of the main theme playing. Haunting, yet symbolic as always. 

**39:50** \- Isaac: Can I see my mom?  
Malcolm: Yes. She loves you so much. And she will always be there for you. 

Once again, projecting his own life into the case with this boy. Jess may be flawed, but she loves her children fiercely. 

**40:31** \- Malcolm having himself added as a permanent visitor to Isaac in the psychiatric hospital is yet another example of the immense empathy he has for others, as well as his all around big heart. This tiny tidbit is a lovely piece of character development. 

**40:56** \- Malcolm: After everything I went through as a kid, sometimes I wonder if I could have turned into someone like Isaac.  
Gil: Not on my watch.   
Surrogate dad emotions. All the emotions. 

**43:00** \- The search for the wagon is over. I love this scene because it’s really the first tangible piece of evidence we get that Malcolm’s visions are real memories. There’s the brackets, and the “oh dear god” amount of black light blood splatter. Not only do we the audience see that Bright was right (shoutout to Edrisa), but he, the character, also gets that validation in this moment. Given his mental state, it’s a much needed, albeit horrifying, boost for him. 

**43:10** \- Also, can we talk about the gorgeous lighting? Tom backlit by a street light, then the purple rays from the black light hitting the camera lens just right. As Malcolm sees the evidence of his father’s misdeeds, he’s completely enshrouded in darkness. Symbolism people! Symbolism everywhere! No memes here, just examples of the stunning lighting from this last scene. 

See you next time!


	7. 107 - Q & A

**107 - Q & A**

**:24** \- This is the first episode to pick up directly following the end of the previous one. For good reason: Malcolm has finally located THE station wagon from his visions (are they really hallucinations if they’re real?). This is a major moment for him and for us. He feels validated and we as the viewers know that, at least in part, Malcolm is a reliable “narrator”. In short, he’s not as crazy as some people try to make him out to be.

**:46** \- I know a lot of people (god bless you gif creators!) hate the typical lighting of this show for it’s darkness. Is it deliberate on their part to fit with the theme and the inner turmoil within Malcolm? Yes. Is it visually interesting? Absolutely. Is it a massive pain in the rear for content creators? HELLS YES! But the shots and lighting in the junkyard here are beautiful. This show has a habit of backlighting Malcolm in times of crisis. It’s both symbolically and aesthetically genius.

**1:03** \- That is SO not Michael Raymond James in the junkyard. It’s meant to be “Paul Lazar”/John Watkins, but I know me some MRJ, that is not him. Good work uncredited and generically unrecognizable stand-in actor. We salute you. 

**1:11** \- Other questions/thoughts on this scene:

  * Does the auto-shoot really fit Watkins’ profile? 
  * I’m assuming that the flashlight right in front of Malcolm’s face is obscuring him from John’s view, because no way would he be shooting if he knew it was Bright he was aiming at. 



  * Why shoot 6 times, know you haven’t hit your mark AND that he’s still right there, then walk away? 
    * Before you come at me, it’s not a revolver he’s using (yes, I did my homework and watched this scene frame by frame). So, we’re looking at 11 in the mag minimum. He had more to fire. 
    * Did he reverse to double back and make sure the (SPOILER) later-revealed underground RV hiding spot was concealed? 



**1:42** \- Malcolm: Do you believe in repressed memory? 

Gil: If I said no would you go home? Take a few days off? 

  * Papa is concerned. Rightfully so. Bright is just casually out there in junkyards in the middle of the night getting shot at, and acting like it’s a typical Tuesday. 



**2:09** \- “I know it sounds crazy-” Bright is so used to having to defend his beliefs about these terrors/memories that he immediately goes into “allow me to explain the things that sound insane here” mode. The look on his face when Gil counters with “I wish it did”, is pure shock. Gil believes him, for whatever reason. That’s something Malcolm isn’t used to

*Random side note, this location is amazing. There’s so much going on in the background. 

**2:39** \- Edrisa doing what she does best, making us smile. The entire pizza peel conversation and subsequent one liners brings my morbid humor loving self much joy.

**4:14** \- More victims in the junkyard. Immediately Malcolm thinks there’s a connection between his father and this junkyard, these victims. The wagon wouldn’t be there if there wasn’t. Once they’re alerted to the existence of multiple other bodies hidden there, Bright’s thinking one thing: that these could be his father’s victims. 

**5:04** \- Ainsley’s first mistake. Yes, it’s smart to send one set of questions when you intend to ask a completely different set. Props there, hun. But as your momma said sweetie, your first and biggest mistake is thinking you can outsmart Martin Whitly. The man is a professional. 

**8:49** \- Ainsley has clearly thought of every minute detail when it comes to how she wants this interview to go. She at least went in with the intention of outing him for who he truly is. 

  * Note the brilliant lighting here in Martin’s cell. For the majority of this scene, Jin is in the sunlight, while Ainsley is in the shadows. If that wasn’t enough of a ::cough cough: symbolic gesture, check out 8:29. Now Jin is standing between the rays of light from the window, and Ainsley is lit, just as her father typically is, with the Angelic halo. Look at production dropping hints at us left and right. 



**10:04** \- The profile isn’t adding up. Malcolm is in crisis. Cue backlighting and a silhouette. 

**10:41** \- Loving that Dani is taking the Bronx victims to heart and is showing some pride. I also love her small rant about the neighborhoods in the city and how many people don’t understand the sheer size and volume of them if you aren’t from NYC. (Many from the city don’t either, if they aren’t from that particular area). Educate us Dani! 

  * Dear writers, we the fandom are forever grateful for the blessing that is Malcolm saying, “It’s your hood.” 
  * The immediate reactions from the rest of the team, as well as Malcolm being confused as to what he’s done wrong, are also quality entertainment. 



**11:42** \- New memories unlocked: 

  * The memory itself
    * Young Malcolm is running, in the woods. He’s dirty and afraid. As he runs, the knife is still open in his hand, and there’s clearly blood on it. 



    * Is Malcolm’s vision a “real” memory? They seem to be pretty trustworthy at this point. If so, it appears as though something serious happened to our younger hero. 
    * There’s my non-spoilery analysis of this memory. *The next section contains spoilers for later in the season. You have been warned* 
  * Now let's talk about the fact that the knife was hidden in a crack in the console (spoilers here for episode 111- Alone Time). 
    * Did he keep it as a “baby’s first attempted murder” memento? A proud father hoping to have something in common with his son? 
    * Or did he keep it as leverage. Malcolm was putting things together, getting too close for comfort. We know that (according to Watkins) Martin brought Malcolm on that trip to murder him, because of how much he had already seen - TGITB - and put together. Was the knife hidden and kept as a way to keep Malcolm silenced, should he try to speak out against his father?
    * Martin knew that this was the knife Malcolm stabbed Watkins with. He didn’t dispose of it. Obviously there wasn’t any worry that Watkins would go to the police, because both men had way too much dirt on each other to go there. But, Martin kept the knife. My question is this: 



**12:20** \- This is the first time that we get confirmation that Martin killed both men and women and that their ages varied. He did not have a preference or “type” as many serial killers do. His M.O. was about the experimentation, playing with life, not about living out some revenge fantasy on someone who had wronged him. 

*Bonus* Martin’s immediate shock at the change in questions is priceless. Even if Ains didn’t win the war with this interview, at least she surprised him. 

**12:33** \- So many juicy bits of focus, framing, and camera work in this interview scene. 

  * First of all I love rack focus. This is when there is more than one subject/person in a shot and the focus will change dramatically between the two things. Prodigal Son uses this frequently (Ex: The Pilot, when Malcolm is in Gil’s office asking if he hurt Dani when he tackled her). The film teacher in me loves that they use it here to go back and forth between Ainsley the human, and Ainsley as seen in the frame of the camera equipment. 



  * I also appreciated the change in frame here where the image we see as a viewer is edited to look like what Jin, the cameraman is seeing (ie, the REC and run time on screen.) Little details like this seem small, but they really add depth to a scene. 



**13:14** \- Martin Whitly has murdered, at least, 23 people. Yet this man has the ability to twist an interview, in which Ainsley is listing victims and their brutal deaths on air, into a soapbox on which he can stand. He has the pure testicular fortitude to sit there and try to discuss the “lamentable stigma” attached to those with mental health diagnoses as if he’s been wrongfully stereotyped based on his presence in Claremont. This is the Grandmaster level of manipulation Martin is capable of. 

**13:55** \- “Mine is a net positive.” This whole example Martin gives, in which he weighs the thousands of lives he saved as a doctor against the 23 lives he took as a serial killer, is important for multiple reasons. Firstly, he’s trying to win over the viewers, both the fictional ones that will watch Ainsley’s interview as well as the real ones in the fandom. What a genius way for the writers to put a positive spin on the output of Martin’s life. That doesn’t make it true. Just a PSA.

Secondly, I personally don’t think this is Martin putting on for the interview. Let me rephrase, yes he is putting on a “give me sympathy” show. But, I also believe that this is genuinely how Martin views his life. It was okay that he only murdered a couple dozen people, because at the end of the day he saved thousands of lives as a surgeon. More good than bad means it’s all acceptable, right? 

**14:17** \- HumbleBrag!Martin. Yes I killed 23 people, but did you know they named a medical procedure after me? See? Cosmic balance. SMH. 

**14:48** \- And the most important shot of this entire scene is this one right here: Ainsley’s face. She’s falling for the BS Martin is feeding her. Hook. Line. And. Sinker. She’s probably never heard any of these things about her father. The thousands of people he saved or the amazing procedure named after him. Maybe he isn’t all monster. Maybe her mother and brother were wrong about him. Maybe, there’s still a good man in there somewhere. 

**15:25** \- Can we have more sibling banter moments please? We didn’t get nearly enough of them in my opinion. I know Malcolm’s 6 (ish) years older than Ainsley and they both went to boarding school, but we need more sibling conversations, inside jokes, something please! 

**16:14** \- “Have they named him yet?” This is Martin’s first question about the new serial killer Malcolm needs help with. Not how many victims, not M.O. What’s his name? Why? He’s comparing himself to this new killer. He goes directly into his thoughts on the name he was given by the media and how it was a “little too on the nose”. Apparently he’s unhappy with the moniker he earned after experimenting on and murdering 23+ people. Poor thing. 

**17:27** \- When Malcolm shows Martin the picture of the knife from the wagon, his face practically lights up. Because, he’s the one who hid it in the car to begin with. Earlier in this scene, at the mention of Malcolm finding the wagon in the junkyard, Martin’s reply was “The camping wagon? Oh, good for you.” He’s watching his son put the pieces together. He also knows that it’s likely Malcolm is starting to remember things from the chloroform days. And to him that’s exciting. 

**17:59** \- Martin is clearly enjoying toying with Malcolm as he asks about the knife. He answers questions with questions. He’s wearing a half smile practically the entire time. Until Malcolm specifically asks him what else happened on the trip. Then the smile fades, Martin cuts off the info supply, and tells Malcolm they’re monopolizing Ainsley’s interview time. Martin loves nothing more than to manipulate Malcolm just enough to require more visitations. 

**19:39** \- Tom appreciation post: Ainsley has just labeled Malcolm as one of Martin’s victims. She’s in the process of listing his multiple diagnoses and we get a close up of his face. There stands Tom, looking every inch that scared 11 year old boy in the pilot. He exudes vulnerability and trauma. Just ::chef’s kiss::.

**20:50** \- For an oh so brief moment, Ainsley has won. She’s managed to poke the bear until he finally showed his true colors. Martin’s outburst is exactly the kind of proof she was looking to highlight in her interview. It doesn’t take Martin long to recover his composure, even tip his hat to her manipulation (from one master to another). Then the tell tale line of the episode happens: “You had a plan. It’s good to have a plan.” As if on cue, the lockdown alarm goes off. Is it a little predictable? Sure. Do I still live for tropes like this? Yep! 

**22:20** \- Who among those of us with siblings hasn’t had this very moment. I’m almost positive my brother and I have had this exact moment, in fact. Mom calls one, no answer, so she immediately calls the other. Siblings bonding over the mutual annoyance. Right of passage, really. 

**24:08** \- This is how meticulously planned this whole thing is: 

  * Ainsley asks Martin if he knows the serial killer Malcolm is chasing. He looks behind Ains, to Jin’s location, and sees him near the hallway door. Then agrees to talk, if she rolls the camera. He knows he needs the camera on now to catch his incoming “heroic moment”. 
  * As soon as he sits down he’s looking out the glass, anticipating the moment that Tevon attacks. 



**25:04** \- “The junkyard was bought by Paul Lazar”. Not to sound like I’m bragging, because it’s a completely useless skill, but I’m pretty good at pegging which lines of dialogue have been redone in ADR (automated Dialogue Replacement - aka the process in which an actor re records his/her lines to improve quality in post production). I caught this line from Malcolm pretty easily, then focused on his lips. Lazar wasn’t the original alias last name. It’s dubbed over. I watched it a few times, but I’m no pro at lip reading. It just so happens I’m good friends with a Speech-Language Pathology Grad student, @2amEuphoria. So, I threw up the bat signal and she came through something fierce. Results and accommodating epiphany below: 

  * The minute she hit me with this expert analysis, light bulbs aplenty went off. John Watkins’ chosen alias as a serial killer was originally Paul Faith. We know he was raised by a religious zealot and he killed people based on his view of moral character, as seen through a religious lens. 
  * Now the last name Faith is obvious. But Paul ([Paul the Apostle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_the_Apostle)) however... here’s a summary: Paul is an apostle attributed with writing a large portion of the new testament. He originally persecuted Christians, but was visited by Jesus in a vision, struck blind for three days, and changed his ways. He then spent the rest of his life writing, teaching, and spreading the word of Jesus Christ. 
  * For John to pick that name, he truly feels as though he is doing the moral and just work of the lord. 



Now we all know that the last name Faith didn’t stick. They went with Lazar instead. 

  * Lazar… as in Lazarus. Who was a prominent figure in the new testament as well ([Lazarus of Bethany](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lazarus_of_Bethany)). He was dead for four days, Jesus called him forth, and he rose from the dead and walked out of his tomb. 
  * This is the symbolism the writers went with instead. Perhaps we haven’t seen the last of Mr. John Watkins? Since we kind of just dropped that story line like a hot plate, maybe we can get a wrap up? Writers? Anyone? 



**25:59** \- Great shot of Tevon banging on the door with Malcolm’s frantic reflection in the window next to him! 

**26:23** \- Martin’s deadpan delivery of “What an eventful day we’re having.” I can’t. I mean he may as well have said “Look at everything going perfectly to plan.” 

**28:33** \- I’m a firm believer that Martin had two plans here. One was that he would have to walk Malcolm or Ainsley, or whomever, through the process of this surgery. In which case he gets painted the hero for assisting from his captivity. The other being that he might actually get to perform the surgery himself, and would absolutely become the hero. 

Initially it seems that Malcolm is going to be the one performing the surgery. Watch Martin as he’s instructing Malcolm what to do. He’s genuinely excited. Yet another “like father like son” bonding opportunity. Did he know there was no way Malcolm was going to be able to go through with it? Possibly. 

**There’s that traditional Martin golden halo lighting. 

**28:39 -** Malcolm, sweetie, on what planet are you and your chronically shaky hands going to perform an impromptu surgery? I don’t even see how you manage to floss with those tremors, let alone make very specific incisions. 

**31:01** \- Anyone else grossed out by the fact that Malcolm is nervously picking at his lips with a hand covered in Jin’s blood? I know we’re all on edge here, sir, but that’s just unsanitary. 

**31:20** \- Ainsley’s turning point: 

  * Ainsley picking up the camera and filming Jin’s surgery changes everything. This is the first time we see her show sociopathic tendencies. Her lack of empathy for Jin’s situation in this moment is evident when “the story” takes precedence. This is her boyfriend. Maybe they’re not “in love” but she certainly seemed to care for him. I just can’t imagine a woman who truly cares for her partner, could pick up a camera while they’re having life or death surgery and film the whole thing in the name of a good story. 
  * Malcolm is clearly shocked by this, but was he so distraught by his father having a knife that his profiler brain didn’t catch his sister’s behavior? 
  * You’ll also notice that Ainsley’s tone has changed from disdain to adoration as she watches her father perform the life saving surgery on Jin. 



**34:02** \- “Malcolm will be fine too. He’s got a good head on his shoulders and he won’t do anything stupid.” 

Cut to Malcolm roaming the halls of locked-down Claremont, with a television camera and a single shot taser, looking for the suspect. 

Classic Malcolm. 

**34:21** \- Once again, Malcolm in crisis… silhouette. With some lovely emergency lockdown red light overtones. 

**34:27** \- LOOOOOOOOOOOVE how they light this scene with only the flashing red lights, strobe light style. It gives such an eerie horror film feel. It also gives us moments where we can’t see Bright at all. Thus, we get naturally more anxious about his safety because if we can’t see him, he can’t see his surroundings either. 

**36:48** \- There’s the shot. Ainsley is now completely under Martin’s spell. He’s won her over. Mission accomplished. 

**37:25** \- LOOK GUYS! Some music to talk about! YAY! There’s been something of a lull in this department the last few episodes. Most of the sheet music in them were songs very similar to ones I’ve already broken down immensely. The song that plays as Ainsley is thanking Martin and as he is handing the scalpel back to Malcolm is called “We Make a Good Team.” 

  * While Ainsley is admiring her father’s work there’s a hint of a church organ in the background. A first for our show. Why? Because Ainsley is hero-worshiping her father right now. :Cough: worshiping. That paired with that halo lighting, we might as well be at mass right now. 



  * As soon as the interaction changes to Malcolm/Martin, in comes our classic “We’re the Same” theme. Far less worship and a little more “you’re ruining my life”



**37:56** \- Hat’s off to Bellamy young in this very short scene. Watch her face as it just completely falls after Ainsley tells Jess that her father saved Jin. From pure joy to dread in a split second. 

**38:19** \- More beautiful rack focus. Also, how revealing is it that Malcolm is sitting in the dark conference room, alone, reliving all these comments from his father. Gil walks in. He doesn’t make a joke about sitting in the dark; he doesn’t even speak initially. He simply walks over to his surrogate son, pulls a chair, and immediately knows this has something to do with Martin screwing with his head. 

**39:09** \- Malcolm’s realization. Our boy finally pieces it all together, figures out Martin was the architect of the entire lock down. Only to learn that Claremont already knows, Martin is now in solitary, and will not be available for any further questioning. Nothing exacerbates your son’s need to spend time with you like you almost telling him the name of the serial killer he’s chasing and then basically disappearing afterward. Martin you diabolical genius you. Also, Sorry Malcolm. Tough break. 

**40:49** \- Gotta love a healthy dose of Jess snark. It’s good for the soul. 

**41:25** \- How delightfully horror film is this mysterious ringing from the basement moment? The flashes of Malcolm’s childhood memories, blended with the traditional theme music, all the while this ominous ringing coming from inside the sealed office of The Surgeon. It’s just wonderful. 

**42:32** \- Malcolm in the highest crisis of this episode. EPICALLY DARK silhouette. 

**43:00** \- Given the different actor in the beginning of this episode, it would stand to reason that perhaps Michael Raymond James’ voice was later added to this scene in post. I’m thinking much of this episode might have been filmed pretty early to accommodate for Michael’s child being born and Martin’s resulting stint in solitary. 

**43:20** \- So Paul Lazar was on the camping trip… What oh what could this mean? Hehehehe. 

See you next time! 


	8. 108 - Family Friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I’m a high school teacher, as many of you know. And I made an executive decision to finish my fic “Under” before school started. Thus, I neglected these for a few weeks to make sure I got through that story. But fear not! I have returned.

**108 - Family Friend**

**:00** \- So, we ended episode 7 with Malcolm and Jessica in the basement, because mysteriously (and only in the home of the incredibly wealthy) a phone in Martin’s walled-up office has remained connected - and the line paid for for the last 20 years. Rich people probs am I right? But, I digress. That very phone is the focus of our opening. We follow it through a progression of moments: Seemingly “great dad” Martin teaching Malcolm about anatomy, then the room as a crime scene with CSIs taking pictures everywhere, Jessica telling workers to wall up the entryway, and finally Malcolm breaking down the wall to answer that same phone 20 years later. 

As these scenes shift, the score is a song called, aptly, “The Phone”. 

  * It opens with what has become one of my favorite things: the single note piano “We’re the Same” melody. There’s just something so creepy about single piano notes with no left hand chords or other instrumentation. They use this incredibly well in our show. 
  * If you listen to this song by itself, you can definitively hear where the scenes would shift. Each time the melody changes just a bit, or the key changes. There’s also a “whoosh” effect that audibly tells us the scene is morphing. When the score alone can tell you an entire story without the visuals, that’s just good composing! 



**1:22** \- Malcolm trying to ask Paul Lazar questions calmly and failing. The crack in his voice and the off tone, which I’m assuming was deliberate on Mr. Payne’s part, is a nice touch. For all the intelligence Bright has, he’s still capable of being taken off guard, and sincerely frightened. 

**1:24** \- THERE’S MICHAEL RAYMOND JAMES! Much better! 

**1:32** \- The heartbeat sound effect when Paul reveals he was on the dreaded camping trip. We literally hear Malcolm’s biological response to learning this information. Film nerd squee. 

**1:37** \- Oddly enough, as soon as this horrifying detail is revealed, Malcolm’s shaky voice and frightened demeanor shifts to confident and in-control. With profiler mode engaged, he pulls out paper and a pen, and starts trying to fish for information. 

**2:22** \- I like that Paul is following the Marvel studios “hiding in plain sight” attire guide: ball cap, jacket, hoodie over the cap. All he’s missing is the aviators, but to his credit it is night time, so I’ll give him a pass. 

**3:31** \- HERE WE GO. Ainsley editing the interview footage, while in Jin’s hospital room. So much to say and so little time: 

  * When I first watched this episode I obviously thought, “Wow. That’s a bit cold.” ::chuckles at my naivety:: If you only knew, December Ang. 
  * Looking at this scene now, through the eyes of the completed season: NO EMPATHY WHATSOEVER! That’s your boyfriend! That’s the man that you supposedly care so much about. He was almost murdered in front of you. And while you’re waiting for him to wake up, you’re focused on editing your interview footage together? 
  * Lack of/inability to feel empathy. There’s a word for that ::cough:: sociopath ::cough::. And our girl is busy still hero--worshiping a pretty big one: MARTIN. 
  * Yes, he’s a predatory sociopath. Despite what the ever-changing writing mistakes may say. 
  * Jin wakes up from almost dying, to find his girl more focused on her story than him. In fact he has to force himself to raise his voice to even get her attention. No big deal; it’s not like he just had an improvisational emergency surgery in the middle of a psychiatric hospital - performed by a serial killer - or anything.



**4:27** \- “I think we captured television gold.” She said, completely unconcerned with Jin’s wants or needs. 

**4:46** \- Jess’s home is filled with police and crime scene investigators. Let’s unpack this for a second. The last time this happened, she found out the man she loved, the man who shared her bed, the man she made a family with, was a prolific serial killer and sociopath. Now here we are again, seeing these kinds of people throughout her home is a massive trigger for her PTSD. This woman is as strong as they come. 

**5:15** \- Dani and JT’s first visit to Jessica’s - AKA: Good lord this is where Bright grew up?

  * I sincerely enjoy Dani’s ironic description here. “It’s… nice.” As her eyes are clearly saying “Holy Sh*t.” 



  * Shout out to Great Uncle Douglas. Rocking some good hair. Must be where Malcolm gets those locks. 



**5:55** \- JT asking how Jessica has been paying for a phone line for 20 years and not knowing about it, is all of us. Dani trying to hold in her laugh at Jessica’s explanation - “you know how business managers are” is also ALL OF US. No we don’t know what they’re like, Jessica. 

**7:01** \- The threat of “The Bureau” 

  * Given how we saw Malcolm exit his previous employment, I got very excited when this “threat” was first mentioned. We know there’s some serious bad blood there. Not to mention Malcolm basically threatened them on his way out with the you should’ve taken my gun first line. So there’s a lot of potential for conflict and drama, aka good television, here. 



  * It’s no secret I’m a sucker for many a trope. The “You’re too close to this” one is another I thoroughly enjoy. In this case Bright straight up agrees with Gil. They’re standing in his mother’s living room for Pete's sake. Obviously he’s close to it. But watching Gil try to rein in Malcolm when this is literally connected to both his childhood and his present life is comical. 



**8:01** \- Edrisa sighting! Glad they increase the further we get into the season. Also notice that every time our beloved M.E. is on screen, the music is always faster paced and more upbeat. She’s our ray of sunshine.

****

**9:12** \- Note the shade Edrisa throws at JT here over his comment/interrupting her Malcolm flirting. LOVING the sass. 

**10:47** \- 

Gil: Get the bomb squad and ESU down here. 

Malcolm: (Ignores cue, picks up a pipe and starts busting the lock open. Then, proceeds to jump into a pitch-black hole with absolutely no clue what awaits him, armed with nothing but his designer suit and a flashlight.) 

Our poor chaotic boy.

**11:10** \- Disheveled Malcolm hair appreciation post. 

**12:20** \- Am I the only one who noticed that this scene is set up backwards from how we usually see a case board presentation? Why? Because there’s so many victims and information that they’ve graduated to a second case board. Only time this happens the whole season, I believe. 

**14:19** \- Strapped!Jessica

  * The thought of her just walking around her house with a loaded revolver is both hysterical and incredibly terrifying. 



  * I’m interested in whether or not she knows what she’s doing with a weapon. On one hand, I could see her getting the gun in secret, and having zero training whatsoever other than what she’s seen in movies and television. On the other hand I could absolutely see her getting one and getting trained as soon as Martin was arrested in ‘98. A way to take her power back. Or even down the road, when Malcolm goes to Quantico, he teaches her how to handle and shoot a firearm. Okay, I officially need a scene like this in flashback form. 



**15:26** \- *spoilers in this time stamp* Knowing what we know now about Eve, you have to wonder what was going through her head when Jess reveals that they were contacted by a “serial killer colleague” of Martin’s. We know she’s only interacting with Jessica for information. Did she think there was a chance that now her sister’s disappearance could be linked to the friend and not Martin?

**15:37** \- It’s been 20 years since Martin was arrested. In this scene Jessica says ”Some days everything feels normal. I can make it through a few consecutive hours without thinking about Martin or what he is.” Imagine that for a moment. 20 years later, and to still be so haunted by your trauma that you call a few consecutive hours without thinking about it “normal”. Everyone likes to joke about Jessica’s drinking and use of pharmaceuticals. Truth be told, I get it. Not saying I condone the over use of these particular coping mechanisms, but if you could only get through an hour or so without thinking about your serial killer husband and everything he’s done, you’d need some assistance as well. The fact that she functions anywhere close to the average human is a testament to her strength. 

**19:30** \- A package is delivered to Malcolm at the precinct. It turns out the contents are a severed hand. There’s a lovely little callback to the pilot episode here from Dani: “Guess you aren’t the only one who likes chopping off hands.” Malcolm gives her a little side eye, but can’t contain a bit of a smirk either. 

**21:29** \- “Bad things happen when you snoop. Like when you found that girl.” 

  * MAJOR MOMENT in season one! Malcolm now has confirmation that the Girl in the Box was indeed REAL. She wasn’t a trauma-induced nightmare figure. Those memories are legitimately real. 



  * As the viewers, we now have more reason to believe Malcolm’s psyche is reliable. Something we’ve been unsure about since the beginning. 
  * **22:15** \- Watch how the camera goes in and out of focus briefly here, as Malcolm deals with what he’s just heard. It gives us a view into his own head. Not only is he probably literally having vision issues as this moment overwhelms him, but it’s also symbolic of things that were once foggy (like his fragmented memories) becoming clear. 



  * **22:24** \- They do something very similar with the camera here as well. The difference is the shots are extreme close ups, focusing in and out of Malcolm’s eyes and face, all the while showing us flashes of memories of his childhood. Beautiful editing and camera work. 



**22:55** \- Kudos to Tom here for the way he plays Malcolm handling this revelation. He says “She’s real, Gil” and then smiles uncontrollably - because the validation is overwhelming for him right now. Even he wasn’t sure if he could trust his own mind, but he knows that, at least for this detail, he can. He’s spent 20 years wondering if he was crazy, while person after person told him he was imagining the girl, that she was a figment of his trauma and fear. They were wrong. After 20 years of trying to convince everyone around him that he saw something horrific, he is finally proven right. 

**24:14** \- At least Bright looked fondly at the precinct doors, and almost considered getting back up, before he proceeded to run straight into danger unarmed. Progress comes in baby steps. 

**24:28** \- Notice how Paul swings that door insanely wide open. He’s not trying to get away. If he were he would have pulled that locked door shut behind him. He knows how close Malcolm is. And Bright is just taking that bait. 

**26:11** \- The first time Malcolm utters his father’s phrase “We’re the same”. Folks within the fandom like to debate whether or not the things Malcolm says in this scene are genuine-from-the-heart sentiment or Malcolm saying what he knows Paul wants to hear, to keep him talking. In my opinion, there’s a valid argument for both sides in this particular debate. I think we all know that there is definitely that small part of Malcolm that thinks he might be able to become like his father, like Paul believes. 

**27:30** \- One of my favorite moments of the entire season: Gil MAKING Malcolm say the phrase “Call for backup”. “This isn't rhetorical, Bright. I actually want to hear you say the words out loud.” We’re all thinking it; Gil’s just saying it. 

  * It’s nice that Malcolm at least admits a part of him wants answers and will do stupid things to get them: “It’s not the only reason I went” - **Only** reason. 
  * Our second threat of FBI involvement. Each time this gets thrown around, Malcolm gets more and more desperate that they not be called in. 



**29:03** \- Again, Ainsley’s been MIA for hours working on this other life-changing serial killer story. Meanwhile, her boyfriend’s been alone in a hospital bed, having almost died to help her, wondering where she ran off to. Not once does she show affection for him in this scene, ask him how he’s doing, offer to get him anything. Zero emotion toward this man whatsoever. That’s amoré.

**30:01** \- Classic use of frozen peas. I appreciate this. Ice packs are overrated. 

**30:24** \- *Language warning* Tom mouths “fuck” here, in character as Malcolm, or I give you my kidney. Okay, maybe that’s a little too intense, but I’m telling you it definitely looks like he does. He’s reacting to the surprise visit, his condition, and the meds strewn about the countertop. I’m telling you. He mouths “fuck”. See gif below as People’s exhibit A) 

**30:43** \- Despite my dislike for the character of Eve (Character not actress - which I will get further into as the season progresses) the one time I feel a closeness to her is this scene. She is VERY distracted by open-shirt Malcolm. Aren't we all?

**31:06** \- Malcolm’s reaction here is so telling of the Whitly family dynamic. 

Eve: Your mother “was drunk in the middle of the day”. 

Malcolm’s internal dialogue:  _ And?  _

E: “And she was waving a gun around” 

M _ : Nice.  _

**32:12** \- “Avoid tunnels if you can.” Snarky!Gil is always a delight. Also, shout out to the lighting of this scene for making it feel like a black and white film. Very interesting visually. 

**32:40** \- Once again we see Malcolm in crisis being silhouetted. This shot is quite beautiful, actually. The mist adds a whole additional creepy quality to the fact that Malcolm is going in practically blind with. Once Malcolm goes through the fence and Paul reveals that Martin called him when he put Malcolm to bed (with a tuck-you-in dose of chloroform), the fog rolls in and partially obscures another silhouetted Malcolm. Symbolism for days. This can represent the face that the smoke and mirrors of Martin and Paul’s experiences with Malcolm are slowly fading away. It can also represent the fact that Paul isn’t even there at the fort as he claimed to be. He’s obscuring the truth and Malcolm as he tells partials here and there. 

**33:55** \- The bracelet. If there was any thought that Paul might be screwing with Malcolm about the girl in the box being real, this bracelet proves he isn’t. It’s tangible evidence that she not only existed, but Paul had some physical interaction with her and Martin. While having this as evidence points to extremely bad things having happened to this girl, it is exactly the kind of evidence Malcolm needs to a) solve this mystery and b) prove to those who doubted him that TGITB is real. 

****

**36:19** \- Malcolm tells Ainsley to stay in her room and lock the door. What does she do? True to her genetics, she walks straight into a room with a serial killer, defenseless. It’s good to know that it isn’t JUST Malcolm. Somehow, knowing that it’s a genetic flaw makes it easier to accept. 

**37:19** \- I truly enjoy the moments where our show shifts to horror film mode. I love our alternative look at a procedural. I love the family and team dynamics they have. But, I also love that on top of all that, they navigate moments that are as horror film as you’re going to see on network television. The low camera angles here make everything look large and daunting. The low, even by PS standards, lighting and silhouetted killer make things “unknown” and scary. Then there’s the music. Those stereotypical high pitched and sliding strings that make your hair stand on end. They’ve got this genre down. 

**38:04** \- Ainsley enters Jin’s room, again not concerned with asking how he’s doing, but excited to regale him with her harrowing “news” story about escaping the scary killer. When she sees that Jin has her laptop and is watching the footage of his own surgery, her first reaction is to be angry with him. She doesn’t feel sorry for what she did or apologize for her heinous actions. She scolds him for looking at her computer. He essentially breaks up with her for being a generally horrible person/girlfriend through this whole endeavor and all she does is give him dirty looks as she exits. 

These were clues we missed, people. So many clues. 

**40:21** \- Ainsley gets what she wanted all along. The scoop on a major breaking news story. Mission accomplished. Success, with no care whatsoever for the cost. 

**42:15** \- While I do respect Jessica’s argument here: that she doesn’t want to be driven out of her own home by the ghosts of killers past and present, she could be a bit more accommodating to expert opinion when she’s in danger. One of the only bones I tend to pick with our matriarch. 

**43:00** \- The FBI have arrived and they are NOT interested in having Malcolm anywhere near this case, or the rest of our team for that matter. 

**43:13** \- I am generally not one to be judgmental of others. That being said, good lord who allowed the delightful actress that is Meagan Good out of the makeup trailer with those sharpie-looking eyebrows? This woman is too pretty to have this done to her. Who, I ask you? Who?!

**43:24** \- Absolutely loving the fact that Malcolm is so shook by the FBI presence at the precinct that he has told his mother to keep her illicit weapon. This tells us so much about what he feels toward them. It’s not just annoyance or bitterness. He’s genuinely concerned that they will let their feelings about him cloud their judgement on the case, therefore putting people he cares about in danger. That should absolutely be of concern to us. If we know anything, it’s that Malcolm always puts others before himself and He. Is. Scared. 


	9. 109 - Pied a Terre

Just a quick disclaimer, given this episode’s content, there will be discussion of sexual themes/motifs in film and music. They will remain as PG/PG-13 as I can keep them. But, if that could potentially be a bother to you, youhave been warned. 

That being said: SEX. Yep, that’s the name of the game in this episode and indeed the name OF the episode. A pied a terre, by literal definition, is simply a smaller second residence in which someone stays occasionally when need be. Socially, however, that term tends to imply that the residence is used as a romantic rendezvous spot - whether the owner is single or not. So, from the title alone, we know what theme awaits us. 

More profound than that, however, is the episode’s theme of pleasure v. love. Throughout the 43 minutes we will come across numerous instances in which physical pleasure is juxtaposed to love. While the two of them can and do coexist in a healthy relationship, neither are a definitive requirement for the other. You can love someone platonically, familially, and even romantically, without the craving/necessity of physical pleasure. Conversely, you can seek out and achieve physical pleasure without love having to be a prerequisite. 

  * As the episode continues we will see Malcolm’s perspective on this. How familial love (insert quotations when in reference to Martin) has affected his romantic life and what his personal feelings are when it comes to emotional attachment and sex.
  * We are also presented with an intriguing scenario involving Simone and Jasper/Charles’s relationship. It is literally THE juxtaposition of pleasure v. love. She loves him very much, but his condition eliminates his ability to provide her the physical pleasure she biologically needs. In his love for her he literally creates an entire community through which she can be provided the one thing he cannot give her, physical pleasure. 



**:15** \- Bright’s bedhead 2020! That wayward strand of dangling hair can have the VP nom. 

**:57** \- Every time I see this episode, and the Malcolm-night-terror-rendition of TGITB, all I think about is that meme that went viral a little while back: “They had us in the first half. Not gonna lie.” 

  * They really had us thinking she was dead, dumped in some river or buried out in the woods with that makeup and hair. Well played writers/costume design. 
  * Putting the whole “we got duped” aside, let’s analyze why she looks that way in Malcolm’s psyche. (While trying to keep only information we’ve been given thus far in the series in mind). Everything we’ve seen so far:
    * him being taken on the camping trip
    * him seeing her half nude curled up in the box
    * Flashes of Martin telling him to stab someone
    * Flashes of Malcolm running with a bloody knife in the rain
  * It holds to logic that perhaps her looking wet in his psyche is attached to it being rainy in his fragmented memories. If she was killed then, as he thinks at this point, then she would’ve been disposed of in a rainy, wet, wooded area. Therefore she looks that way.



  * **Spoiler for 111 this bullet only** We also know that there was a stream or river near the hunting cabin. Because Malcolm originally thinks he hears it in 111. If it was a river of decent size, his psyche could be seeing her as having been thrown in the river. 



**1:00** \- All I could think about with this shot was The Ring. Anyone? 

**1:14** \- Love how the camera is angled just so the sword looks like it’s coming out of Malcolm’s mouth as he screams. He’s being silenced? He’s incapable of getting people to believe him and listen. 

**1:23** \- A moment of silence for Paul “Jesus” Rovia, and the parallels between these two scenes. I’m sure it wasn’t intentional, but damn did it hit me right in the feels. The face, the sound he makes, all depressingly similar to Jesus’s final moments on The Walking Dead. Why must these creators stab Tom so frequently? It hurts. It really does. 

**1:25** \- As dark as the opening of this episode is, the writers smartly pull the audience out of that dreary place quickly with this next scene. 

  * Bright literally snuggling a stuffed panda for comfort at age 31 (ish) is both adorably funny and breaks your heart at the same time. 



**2:25** \- Dr. Le Deux’s theory: 

  * Okay, I know so many people are not okay with how Gabrielle interprets Malcolm’s dream, and what she suggests to him as a solution. Truthfully it’s not my favorite moment either. It doesn’t track as a logical connection to the night terror we saw, in my opinion. 
  * That being said, this isn’t a show about therapists; it’s a creepy and delightful show about murder. And looking at it from a writer’s standpoint, this is the plot device they’re using to feed the remainder of the episode: the case of the week and Malcolm’s personal life. 



**2:41** \- Malcolm’s reactions to her taking the sexual approach to this dream are hysterical. He’s so used to everything being doom and gloom, death and destruction, that he looks completely out of his comfort zone. 

**3:19** \- This music cue may very well be the best in the whole season. Expertly chosen song: “It’s Your Thing” by The Isley Brothers. While the song’s original intent had nothing to do with sex or romance, the lyrics still fit perfectly in ths moment. The resulting image of Bright bopping down the street, after having been prescribed a roll in the hay by his therapist, is, as Ainsley would put it, “Television Gold”. 

**3:27** \- To whichever writer came up with this lollipop gag, BLESS YOU! We know Bright always snags some of them on the way out of Dr. Le Deux’s office. But the blatant innuendo here is simply glorious. That paired with the looks Malcolm gives basically any breathing entity that passes him. Comic genius. 

**3:53** \- Enter a female specimen, Eve, who conveniently appears right after Gabrielle basically smacked Bright on the ass and said “go get some, sweetie”. 

**4:20** \- “All women should be a little dangerous” - As much as I dislike her character and the shady intentions she has, I have to admit, this is a prime quote from Eve. 

**4:53** \- Malcolm’s utter surprise that Eve agreed to a date with him is both endearing and such a teenage boy moment you just want to hug him. 

**4:58** \- Malcolm is officially having the best day ever. Got told to get out there and get laid, snagged himself a date, and now there’s a murder to be solved. This kid is on cloud nine. 

**5:41** \- The puns and innuendos in this scene make this English teacher happy. They’re a perfect representation of what’s going on in Bright’s mind at the moment; it’s seeping into his work life now. Also, they’re just straight up funny. 

  * “Probably not the happy ending he was looking for.” Gil’s eye roll behind Bright after that line is glorious. 



  * “I’ll have to perform a thorough examination before I can determine how long he lasted” Bright’s reaction here. 



  * “Oh you get an explosion alright,” she said, as she blacklights the fluids on the sheets. 



**6:02** \- Gotta appreciate a good Clue reference! Also, another example of Tom pronouncing his “ry” endings the British way as opposed to the American way. He says the line “My money was on the wrench in the library.” But he pronounces the last word “Lie-bry”, when the traditionally American pronunciation is “Lie-brare-ee”.

**6:38** \- “Sex is like psychological gasoline. The wrong emotional spark, and you get an explosion.” Just wanted to slow clap this amazing line of dialogue. While it falls nicely into the playful humor of the scene, and sets up Edrisa’s comical response. It’s also quite profound and holds a heavy truth to it. Lauriel Harte Marger (writer of this episode), I salute you. 

**7:04** \- This is the first glimpse we get of Malcolm’s personal views of sex and love. He profiles the room, sees all the candles and romantic ambiance, and immediately says that the victim must have been having an affair. He adds that this wasn’t a room in which married sex had occurred. When JT objects, Malcolm explains his logic: that in long-term relationships “post-coital holding can be drastically reduced”. It makes one wonder whether or not Malcolm has actually been in a long-term relationship. (With someone who wasn’t conning him and his family for information, that is.)

**7:46** \- Jessica calls her son and immediately makes the impending air date of Ainsley’s interview, as well as the junkyard killer still being at large, about her. As much as I love Jessica, she does have a tendency to miss the bigger picture at times. 

**8:24** \- This is how you know Malcolm is in new territory and has been thrown off his game: he openly divulges information about his personal life to his mother. Then, when Gil asks “Did you tell her” he again goes straight to his date with Eve, and not the life-altering confirmation that TGITB was indeed real. 

**9:14** \- Ok, I love my show with a fiery passion… but this line is way too CSI Miami for me. “Wait, if that’s David then [dramatic pause] who’s the dead guy in the bed?” 

“WAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOOOOO” ::cue “Won’t Get Fooled Again”::

**9:47** \- Glorious Dani hair appreciation post. Those curls. I can’t. She is a queen. Your argument is invalid. 

**11:19** \- This bathroom discussion between Beth and Malcolm gives us the first hint of a new score song for this episode. We will hear the full version later. It heavily features the cello, which we will go further into when we get to that scene. Suffice it to say, there’s a reason the episode that focuses mainly on sex has a scored piece that involves a lot of cello. 

**12:39** \- JT: “Wait, wait, wait. Why did you point over there?” 

Edrisa: “Because that’s where Caleb’s penis is.” 

JT: “I’m out.”

I always enjoy when the tough guy of our team gets rattled. His one liners are priceless. 

**12:59** \- Watching Gil squirm over the phrase “vaginal secretions” is also worth the price of admission. 

**13:40** \- The song that plays in Niko’s sex shop is called “Mi Rumba” by Sofi Tukker & Zhu. Good lord does it fit with this episode's theme. 

  * Firstly the Rumba from the titles is a slang term for “party” or “rhythm”. 
  * Here’s a nice sample of the lyrics: 



Call me a pervert, call me a freak

I want every part of you inside every part of me

Go ahead let me watch you

Watch you watching me

Mi rumba, danza con mi rumba (translation: My party, dance with my rhythm) 

  * So yeah, no deep analysis needed there. 



As soon as Bright and JT walk into the shop, the profiler is in no way uncomfortable. Meanwhile, JT is eying the place like he can’t wait to leave. Remember, Malcolm has likely spent a good amount of time in shops like this trying to find restraints that are strong enough to keep him secure when he sleeps. This is his element.

**14:37** \- Niko returns!

  * When last we saw poor Niko, Bright was busy hacking off his hand in the name of saving him from an explosion. They could’ve made this a new character, there’s no reason to make it Niko specifically. I like to think there were two main reasons for the callback:
    * 1) Malcolm specifically mentions and shows the audience how well his surgery went and the fact that his hand is doing great. Thus, proving to the audience that Bright didn’t run a man’s life with his snap decision. 
    * 2) Malcolm knows that Niko used his settlement money to open the shop. He’s been keeping track of him to make sure he was okay. Thereby telling the audience that he’s compassionate and he wanted to make sure Niko was okay after everything that happened. 



**15:00** \- JT’s genuine pride that Niko is a “small business owner now” and Malcolm’s accompanying approval nod crack me up. 

**15:43** \- I appreciate that Niko recognizes that Malcolm has a pretty face. 

**16:00** \- A few moments in this scene that Brightwell shippers love

  * Dani telling Malcolm to stop fidgeting because he “looks great”
  * The massive annoyed eye roll when Simone says they’re going to have sex. 



**16:24** \- Mara Davi: The actress who plays Simone: 

  * First off, gal is gorgeous. She plays the sultry seductress quite well. 



  * Also, loving the use of the redhead as the fiery sex goddess. Symbolic much? 



**16:41** \- “I’ve been looking to make a change, to explore a side of myself that I buried for too long.” Work imitating life here for our boy. It’s all connected folks. 

**17:07** \- “Lust is easy. Love is Dangerous” 

  * And this basically sums up the entire theme of the episode: pleasure v. love
  * It sums up Malcolm’s issues with relationships, as well. Even though in that case the love side is more of the issues with his father and a familial love. He’s got so many issues that for him, the lust side (aka a more casual approach to sex, instead of having a relationship) has likely been easier. 



**17:22** \- Sample the product. I love that Malcolm is spoken about in the same terms as pure, uncut Colombian cocaine.

Also, his reaction here along with the line “I could give it a shot”, is one of my favorite Bright moments of the season. Well played, Tom Payne. 

**17:35** \- “I’d appreciate some guidelines on how far I’m permitted to take this” 

  * First off, the team fully reveling in this turn of events is the content I live for. “How far would you like to be permitted to take this?” 



  * Malcolm: Is this fun for you? Dani: I’m having a pretty good time.-- The banter is pristine. 
  * Props to Mara Davi for looking hella impressive in that get up. 



  * New score song this ep: “I’d Appreciate Some Guidelines”. Mr. Blume, this piece, sir. ::chef’s kiss::. It opens with a solo cello. Very high class and fancy. Now, the cello is stereotypically the instrument in the string family that is used to to represent a more sexy or romantic feeling. It’s got the deep sultry sounds of an alto diva. It can play the high smooth notes and yet also rumble the low and deep ones as well. Sexual symbolism at it’s finest. (She said, having played the cello since she was 10.) In terms of character representation. We have Malcolm standing there, verbally committed to sleeping with this woman in the name of getting information. Then, the violin joins, just as the woman appears, in all her seductress array. The two instruments play an amazing complementary harmony together (sexual symbolism via music), the notes weave up and down the scale together much like one would if you were in the act. Then, it crescendos, as tensions on screen increase. Until suddenly the melody halts (when Simone finds the wire) it finally tails off, never completed. Much like the encounter Malcolm “committed” to. 



**20:11** \- Simone: And now you think I killed him.

Gil: Did you? 

Bright: Were you in love with him? 

Gil: Answer my question first.

Any time Gil flexes the “I’m the boss” muscle it’s enjoyable. 

**22:13** \- “I’m not really dad material.” Um… I can’t be the only person who thinks the opposite right? Also the crooked lips thing Tom does frequently while in character is a cute little mannerism he’s chosen for Malcolm. 

**24:12** \- It’s in no way a shock that Jessica had a tailor ready in Malcolm’s apartment to prep him for his date. He should not have been surprised. Besides, Sunshine was warning up a storm and you just ignored him, Malcolm. 

**24:46** \- “Darling, we’re rich. We don’t do ‘normal’.” Therein lies the essence of Jessica’s upbringing. She’s a product of her environment. However it’s nice to see that Malcolm did not follow in those particular footsteps. 

**24:51 -** The camera slow-panning to reveal TGITB over Bright’s shoulder. Classic horror film and a sneaky little jump scare reveal. 

**25:38** \- “Oh, hell no” is officially JT’s signature Malcolm greeting. 

**29:13** \- Bright basically profiler blacks out, and loses track of his setting completely. In his defense, the ladies started it. But, definitely a mood killer on a first date. 

**30:09** \- JT, sweetie, it does you no good to use a glove to pick up the Rx bottle only to touch the bottom of it with your other bare hand. 

**31:36** \- “Almost sounds romantic” - Jasper aka: Charles, literally created an entire community in which his wife could experience the physical pleasure she needed, that his ALS stole from them. In a twisted and honestly sad way, it truly is romantic and selfless. 

**35:24** \- What a gorgeous shot. The gun, the reflection, the lighting between the two. 

**35:27** \- Ok here’s this episode’s moment of “Things I never noticed until this analysis”: 

  * We deliberately get a close up of Beth’s hand holding the gun here, the red nails specifically. We also got a close up of her hand near the beginning of the episode, when we are first introduced to her. She reaches for her purse then checks herself, because she wants a cigarette. 
  * Originally Beth had square (ish) french tips. Now she has Oval red ones. 



  * Then, once she is revealed behind the mirror, she has the darker shorter wig, the intense eye liner and the striking red lips.



  * Why you ask… BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT SIMONE HAS! 



  * We learn in this moment that Beth is/was in love with Caleb and he refused to leave the community for her. He wouldn’t leave because he liked sleeping with Simone too much. Beth went full creeper and is trying to emulate Simone, even after she’s already killed Caleb. 
  * I also adore the fact that this happens, but is never mentioned by the team. Such a dramatic yet silent detail that ads to the authenticity of Beth’s break. 



**35:51** \- Let’s talk about the symbolism of Beth missing Malcolm with her shot and instead hitting her husband right in the chest. She’s already metaphorically shot him through the heart with the community and falling for another man. Now we are doing it literally. 

**37:28** \- Speaking as a mother. Playing the child card, appealing to the mother in me, would definitely be the thing that brought me back from the brink. I truly think that’s a well played method. Even if it is a little tropey, I feel like it’s rooted in fact. 

**38:33** \- Jessica learns TGITB was real: 

  * I believe Jessica being so adamant about TGITB not being real comes from two places. 



    * 1- I think she truly wanted Malcolm to be free of the guilt, and the best way for her to achieve that was to convince both him and herself that she wasn’t real. She’d seen Malcolm tortured for long enough. She wanted her son to finally have peace. 
    * 2 - I think it was partially self-serving. It’s bad enough that her husband was a serial killer. But it’s far worse for her to have to imagine that one of his victims was being held in a trunk in her basement, while their family was going about their daily business upstairs. I think we see a part of that in her reaction to Gil telling her the truth.
  * Then there’s the realization that her son didn’t tell her this insanely monumentous realization. Basically the most validating moment in Malcolm’s life - that he had been right for 20 years when everyone was telling him otherwise. And he didn’t tell his mother the truth. Not because he was bitter or angry with her. But because he didn’t want her to feel the pain and the guilt that he knew would come with that information. She’s devastated, on multiple fronts. 



**40:18** \- “I’m never going to be normal… and I’m probably insane for thinking any woman would ever want to be in my life.” 

  * Herein lies the essence of Malcolm. He recognizes that he isn’t normal. Ok. I mean who is really? But that’s beside the point. He genuinely thinks that he isn’t someone that any woman would deem lovable. That he’s too messed up to have that in his life. In walks Eve, and she seems interested, and thus he latches on to that. He latches on to the thought that she might be the only person ever to be willing to accept him for who he is, and be with him. 



  * I’ll hit on this more in later episodes, but in my opinion, this is why he dives head first into the relationship pool and hits some big milestones (ie. key to the apt) so quickly with her (when she returns later). He’s afraid she will change her mind and he will be alone forever.   
  




**41:09** \- So Malcolm is officially an “on the first date” person. No judgement here, just info to know. Given the episode's theme. I would say it’s safe to conclude that Malcolm falls in the “extensive emotional attachment is not required for physical pleasure” category. 

**40:53** \- Officially my favorite subtitle:

**41:23** \- So the writer definitely baits us here. We see that in his post-coital state Malcolm’s tremors have lessened, disappeared even, potentially giving some sway to the Dr.’s analysis of Bright’s terrors. For a moment, we feel happy for our boy. It looks like maybe he’s found a companion, maybe he’s figured out a way to help with all the psychological bullshit he’s going through. 

And then he gets up off the floor to get a drink of water. 

And all hell breaks loose. 

Sure, the tremors are gone, but now we’re having full on conversations with our night terrors. Hallucination mode engaged. 

**42:18** \- Alright, I just want to take this moment to give Tom Payne a shout out for those abs. That’s hard work. I’m sure he had some of that left over from all that fight training he did on The Walking Dead THAT THEY NEVER USED! ::breathes::. But yeah, physical aesthetics aside, that takes some serious nutritional and physical effort and well done sir. 

**43:01** \- Aside from her sister disappearing, this is the one and only time I feel any sympathy for Eve. I can’t imagine what I’d do if I’d just woken up from sleeping with someone for the first time and he starts slashing at me with a kitchen knife. That’s some serious “I’m out” vibes right there. Unfortunately, she doesn’t stay that way. But that’s a discussion for another episode. 


	10. 110 - Silent Night

I’m back, folks! After a very stressful incident that sucked my life away for a few weeks AND a nice little positive COVID test, I have returned. I promise to never abandon these! They’re just too much fun! 

Side note… We have BTS set photos from season 2 now!!!!! Anyone else lose their minds at these? It brings me much joy! 

Given that this is an episode set during Christmas, there are numerous themes that fit that mold: moral righteousness, forgiveness of sins, and justice. Throughout the episode we see several characters searching for them. Malcolm is looking for justice, for the truth about what has happened in his past and to the victims of his father and John Watkins. Jessica is trying to earn her son’s forgiveness for having denied the existence of TGITB for so long. She wants justice for the victims, of which she is convinced there are more than they currently know, of her ex husband. Paul Lazar aka: John Watkins is on a path of “moral righteousness” wiping out those whom he deems unholy. Our team is trying to clear a good cop’s name after a questionable crime scene and they’re being sidelined by the FBI in the Watkins case as well. 

**:14** \- Clearly I’m a sucker for any scene that puts Malcolm in front of his (magically appearing) television. The lighting, for once, shows his entire face and the turmoil watching this interview is causing him. The way he can stare at something with his entire soul... is just lovely. 

**:20** \- It’s clever how the series used these clips of Martin’s interview with Ainsley to keep him present in the show, despite Michael’s leave. It doesn’t feel forced. It doesn’t feel like a cover up. It makes sense and that’s harder to do that you might think. 

**:27** \- If you need me I’ll be neck deep in Tom’s beautifully lit eyes. 

**:40 -** Check out this STUNNING shot! We can see Malcolm watching the interview via his reflection in the TV. Look at his expression. He’s distraught, tormented. Yet he still watches. There’s Martin. He’s considerably larger than Malcolm’s tinier reflection. As is Martin’s influence on his son’s daily life. 

**:56** \- Never has a heel been so well used. Malcolm is clearly having some serious issues while watching this interview. His tremor is in full effect; he’s visibly flinching at his father’s comments and raised voice. As per usual, he puts himself through immeasurable pain in the name of trying to right his father’s wrongs. Wrongs that are. not. his. 

**1:25** \- It’s NO COINCIDENCE that this is the still frame the interview stops on. Once again, as we see so many times through the musical score, Martin is there, looming over Malcolm like the monster he is. At least in this scene we get the visual truth as well. And look at this shot as a stopping point for the whole show (not talking about the interview on the TV). Martin is yelling at Malcolm via the interview, terrorizing him visually the way he does mentally on a daily basis. Malcolm is staring at the paused image, compelled to do so by his inability to stay completely away from The Surgeon despite the pain it causes him. Meanwhile, there’s Jessica, staring at her son, the worried mother wishing she could protect him from the horrors that plague his everyday life. 

**2:03** \- I’m unsure whether or not the deep breath Malcolm takes here is scripted or a choice by Tom, but how heartbreaking is this? Jessica has just learned that Martin used Chloroform on her son. She’s distraught and the first thing out of her mouth is “I thought he loved you.” An understandable reaction by a mother who was duped by a very charming and manipulative serial killer. But unintentionally, she has just reiterated to her child that his father didn’t love him. It doesn’t matter how old you are, that hurts. Malcolm looks every bit the 11 year old boy here, as he slowly closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, processing the remark from his mother. It clearly hurts him, yet he immediately consoles Jessica, making sure she understands that the things Martin did to him were not her fault. He is so selfless it’s sometimes painful to watch. My heart hurts for him. 

**3:07** \- “Oh yeah? Keeping secrets doesn’t seem to be your strong suit.” Snarky Malcolm is snarky. I love seeing Malcolm have teenage angsty moments with his surrogate father. Gil’s reaction only solidifies this relationship. 

**3:33** \- Colette Swanson - Clearly there’s a history between Malcolm and the Special Agent. Still dying to know more details about this. Were they partners? Did he go rogue and cause her career a major downfall? Did it cost her a promotion? I need to know these things! 

****

**3:57** \- “Merry Christmas!” It speaks volumes that not two minutes ago, Malcolm was telling his mother that he isn’t exactly in the festive mood these days, yet here he is, a giant smile across his face, wishing JT Merry Christmas. The boy is SELFLESS. He always puts others’ well-being and needs before his own. That being said, I’m sure the prospect of a case to investigate is also turning that frown upside down. 

**4:13** \- Hello there, Dani. We see you checking on Bright after the release of the interview. We see you caring about how he’s doing. Whether it’s as a friend or as someone who may be interested in more. We see you. 

**6:05** \- Bright and the murder weapon: 

  * Malcolm is so “in the zone” while trying to play out Turner’s emotions in the moment, that he literally COCKS A LOADED WEAPON AND PUTS IT TO THE SIDE OF HIS HEAD! 



  * Notice his teams reactions: 
    * Gil - Panics, yells
    * Dani - “Hey!” Steps back and lets boss handle it
    * JT: This bitch. 
  * “It’s not...Oh wait it is”- Can we also talk about the method Malcolm uses to check and see if the gun is loaded? By pointing it at his FACE, and looking down the barrel. Because pointing it down, and popping out the cylinder is for p*ssies. 



  * 6:24 - The “oh shit, my bad” face and noise Tom makes here is absolutely hysterical! 



**7:37** \- “Every perp in Sing Sing” - I may or may not have done some serious research on this place for some writing a while back. To those who don’t know: 

  * Sing Sing is a maximum-security prison on the Hudson river. It’s about 35 miles north of NYC. It holds just under approximately 1,700 prisoners. Formerly famous for the frequency with which they executed prisoners using the electric chair



**8:20** \- Okay so I am as feminist as the next gal, but Colette jumped on that “blaming a woman for a man’s misdeeds” train way too quickly. JT wisely turns and vacates the premises. Mood. 

**8:36** \- Loving the Malcolm sly stare at Dani right here. They’re definitely having a “this wench” moment. Also watch Tom look down and smirk as he tries not to smile at whatever Aurora did off camera here. Loving this. 

**8:57** \- Much respect to our queen, Dani Powell. Colette attempts to pull the “hey sister, girl power!” move and recruit her to help the FBI. Dani immediately looks to Gil. What I love about this is that it isn’t a “Oh can I, dad?”  look. It was the silent plea for help look. We know where her loyalties lie and she isn’t about to bail on her guys. 

**10:38** \- I have a serious problem with the logic of this child interrogation scene. On what planet is an 11 year old boy, taken into an adult interrogation room and questioned without the presence of a parent and/or lawyer. (My brain is immediately yelling at me “When They See Us?!” But that was a VASTLY different scenario. Malcolm is a white male from a filthy rich family.) No way in hell did that happen. Even if you’re going to claim, “Well he was a dirty cop”, that’s crap. No way does that happen and the cop doesn’t get fired. Secondly, Jessica Whitly would have owned the NYPD. She would have sued them into the next decade. If her son was questioned like this, treated the way he was by an adult officer, they’d all be wearing JWPD badges. 

**12:36** \- Malcolm bright is in crisis, mentally. He’s talking to and in the home of the cop who harassed him as a child. What do we do when Malcolm’s in crisis? Silhouette him! Special shout out to silhouetted Gil on the side. It was a team effort, truly. 

**15:08** \- Dani Powell (ep. 105) “I don’t have a lot of friends either.  **I got issues with trust.”**

Dani Powell (ep. 110) “He has some weird habits. He’s unconventional. But, yes.  **I trust him.** ”

Whether you’re team platonic friendship or team Brightwell, that’s some serious progress. 

**16:16** \- “Malcolm Bright is destructive. Don’t let a man like that ruin your career.” Here Colette is again, clearly hating on not just Bright but men in general. Don’t get me wrong, most women have had their anti-fella moments in their life. But this chica must have gone through something MASSIVE. Is this only about Bright and whatever when down with them? Is it a combo of Bright and a bad relationship? Why is she on the warpath?

**17:37** \- Affectionate hand holding. Love is in the air. 

**18:59** \- Yet another example of the brilliant camerawork/editing on our show. As Bright’s thoughts bounce and it all starts to become too much, his focus (aka the camera’s focus) fades in and out. This is the kind of sequence that is amazing to watch in slow motion. You really get to see all the flashes, the focus changes, there’s so much packed into such a short period of time. 

**19:16** \- Dani checks on Bright

  * Dani asks what’s wrong. Malcolm’s response is to tell her he screwed things up with Eve. Now, yes that is true. However that’s not the issue on his mind right now. Deflecting much, sir? 
  * “The problem is me and I can’t be fixed.” Tom’s delivery of this line is heartbreaking. The chuckle he adds in the middle - Malcolm trying to poke fun to keep from breaking down. He tries to make a very dark comment more light-hearted. 



  * “I don’t think that’s true.” Dani is no fool. She notices the depth behind what he’s said and immediately steps in to remind him that people care about him. 



**20:43** \- Someone make me a replica Malcolm/Ainsley Christmas tree ornament. I need this in my life. 

**21:19** \- “Ambition is not a dirty word. It’s the best thing about me… that and my hair.” While the finale of this line is quite comical, I appreciate the rest of the sentiment here as well. Ainsley has not exactly had a conventional childhood. Malcolm surely got far more attention than she did, given his numerous issues. Thus, she is seeking the approval of others outside her family: her superiors at work, her viewers. She wants to find a way to rise to the spotlight. Admittedly, she’s doing a decent job of it. 

**23:03** \- The juxtaposition of Young Malcolm squeezing his eyes shut to try and hide from Shannon and then Adult Malcolm doing the same is such a sad image. He’s still trying to keep the scary men out of his head: Shannon, his father. And it’s not exactly working. 

**25:56** \- Ahh the classic red herring. The jump from the interrogation of the madam saying “If it wasn’t him… who did this?” to Shannon’s car pulling up to the sketchy looking storage unit in the foggy, secluded alley. Top that off with some classic creepy Nathan Blume underscore and it’s the perfect cocktail to make us think Shannon’s the bad guy, who’s about to take down Malcolm. When Shannon closes that storage door and Bright’s head whips around. We are convinced our boy is in some serious trouble. 

**27:00** \- Gorgeous lighting alert! 

**31:27** \- Enter the world’s creepiest grandmother. 

Dear Marylouise Burke,

YOU. ARE. TERRIFYING. 

It’s your job. I know. Touché. Well done. 

Frightened af, 

Ang

**31:44** \- Grandma Creepy Pants confirms John is her grandson:

  * This address was a serious long shot. It’s 20 year old intel. And John is what, 45-ish years old? Maybe a little older. Malcolm knew it was unlikely that John would be the current resident, given his chosen extracurriculars. But the fact that anyone at that address knows him- 20 years later- defies the odds. 



  * Look at Bright’s reaction. Disbelief. Shock. He’s genuinely surprised when the grandmother calls him “my sweet John.” It even looks like he stops breathing for a moment. This is the closest he’s ever been to the answers he so desperately craves. 



**31:57** \- Profiler Nirvana

  * Malcolm’s huffed laugh as he looks around the living room says it all. Information overload. There he stands in the middle of the house that created John Watkins. His profiler brain is so excited it's short circuiting. 
  * 32:30 - Hi there, close up of little angel figurines that will PLAY A PROMINENT part in the next episode (and Ainsley’s backstory in general). 



**32:45** \- The difference in Malcolm and Shannon’s reactions to the microwave dinners is priceless and absolutely on brand for both of their characters. 

  * Malcolm: Stares at it questioningly. Finds a reason not to eat it. 
  * Shannon: Immediately digs in. Later proclaims its deliciousness. 



**33:25** \- John’s backstory

  * Raised by world’s most frightening grandma, Matilda. 
  * No father in the picture
  * Mother apparently slept around and was also a drug user. 
    * Notice Matilda doesn’t say “my daughter” or any reference to John’s mother being her child at all. It has to have been her daughter since she says the father was never in the picture. But the phrase she uses is “with that mother” and then calls her a “filthy whore”. Complete detachment. No parental or loving connection whatsoever. 



**34:44** \- “That rust is a food group” - Underrated line. 

**36:51** \- “Poor grammar is just a short walk to delinquency.” - Speaking as a English/Language Arts teacher, I want to love this quote. I really do. But coming out of her mouth it’s just unnerving. Pretty sure she could read a grocery list and the hairs on the back of my neck would stand on end. {Well acted M(r)s. Burke!}

**37:43** \- The copious amounts of dust on everything in the house adds such a chilling effect. It’s so simple, yet it works incredibly well. 

**37:53** \- Oh my god this shot!

  * The lighting: I’m not positive but it looks as though the only source of light in this scene is the flashlight in Bright’s hand. Admittedly there could always be the lower house lights that they always just edit out to make things darker haha. The way the light glares into the camera is simply beautiful. The only light in the room, which happens to look like a star (don’t get me started on star references in a Christmas episode here people!), is coming directly from our lead, Malcolm BRIGHT. Symbolism! 
  * While the bright light is indeed on Malcolm’s face and coming literally from his hand, we still see a silhouetted dark back of Malcolm via the mirror behind him. There’s always darkness behind him. Looming.
  * Additionally, in the mirror we can see the crucifix over John’s bed. The “star” of light coming from Malcolm’s flashlight has led him to Jesus, on Christmas, just like the star led the wisemen to the infant in the manger. 
  * This single shot is an over-analylzer’s dream! 



**38:55** \- I love our team! Little Miss FBIOTCH is out there demanding they snitch on Bright. Dani: silent. JT: silent and deliberately doesn’t look at her. Gil: Um… we don’t know. (But if we did, we wouldn’t tell you, sucka!*) 

*This comment may or may not have been canon dialogue. 

**39:08** \- The reveal of Shannon’s death. 

  * How amazing is this slow pan? Malcolm is seated and has put his phone away before he realizes the horrific scene before him. The slow flow of the blood on the table, then we watch Malcolm’s eyes follow it up to Shannon, whose throat has been slit. 
  * “John, my dear, you forgot one!” So, this gal was seriously sinister before, but this part of the reveal, that Grandma Nightmare was privy to what John’s doing and she wants him to come back to kill Malcolm too. ALL THE CREEPS! 
  * “He’s gonna get you!” Not going to lie, I’m a grown woman and the way Burke says this line still gives me the willies. Love love loving her performance in this episode. Even if it makes me sleep with one eye open. 



**40:06** \- “Silent Night” 

  * Both the title, and the song used at the most pivotal moment of the episode. 
    * “All is calm. All is bright” - All is most certainly not calm. Jessica is in front of a thousand hounding reporters outside her home and Malcolm is literally in life-threatening danger looking for Watkins. 
    * All is, indeed, Bright, however. 😉
  * The cross cut here, between Jessica talking to the press and Malcolm hunting for Watkins, all as the choir is singing the hymn ::chef’s kiss::



**40:20** \- Watkins is lurking about, Bright is in some serious danger. Time for a silhouette!

**40:25** \- Capable!Bright - Anytime they put a gun in this man’s hand, and actually use the fact that he was once in the FBI, I squeal with joy.

**40:28** \- Jessica is in crisis, she desperately wants to help her son, to be free of Martin’s grasp. Thus, she is silhouetted. Because that’s what we do to our characters in crisis. 

**40:51** \- As Jessica uses the press to plead with the public for help, Ainsley is bitter. Bitter that there have been so many murders? Nope. Bitter that the press has been hounding her mother again to the point of misery? Nope. Bitter that her mother didn’t use her for the exclusive? YEP! More tasty morsels of information regarding our favorite sister and her issues with empathy… cough… cough. 

**41:03** \- Oh to be able to offer a reward “in the amount of one million dollars”. What that must be like. 

**41:14** \- “Bright still isn’t picking up” - Dani’s voice breaks on the word “isn’t” as does my heart. 

**41:41** \- Malcolm’s been hit. He’s on the ground trying to shake off the blow. Once again, as his focus fades in and out, so does the camera. This is quickly becoming one of my favorite effects they use on the show. 

**42:11** \- The camping trip is starting to come together. Here we see young Malcolm, he has the knife we’ve learned about in previous episodes, newly bought by his dad. There’s the station wagon, with Watkins standing next to it. He’s just closed the trunk… what, oh what, could possibly be inside it?

**43:15** \- Our last shot of Malcolm is Watkins pulling him out of frame by the leg. The shot goes from crystal clear, to an unfocused fade, much like Malcolm in his currently unconscious state. As the final scene plays out our main theme “We’re the Same” plays. Martin’s influence, through John, is playing out. Who’s “the same” here? Are we talking about Malcolm and Martin now? Are we talking about Martin and Watkins? Some triangular version of all three? We’re about to find out. 


	11. 111 - Alone Time

**:01** \- This episode opens with a single slammed piano note. It’s a low note, paired with a sound effect that reminds you of a thump on a heavy door. With your eyes closed, it’s chilling to say the least. Therefore there’s confusion initially. When you watch this with eyes open, you see beautiful green trees and a child playing on a swing. The images are at war with the audio and this set the tone for the rest of the episode. 

**:10** \- Baby Malcolm is looking exhausted. Look at the dark circles around this child’s eyes. He’s discussing what the kids at school are saying about him. Even at 11, the sleep issues have begun. He’s so traumatized by his father’s actions, the publicity of his arrest/trial, and the trauma he hasn’t even remembered at this point, that he is struggling greatly. Is he a “freak”? A “monster like dad”? That is the theme of the episode.

**:18** \- For those who watched this show live, there was a SUBSTANTIAL amount of time between the air dates of “Silent Night” and this episode. 7 weeks. 49 days, people! For 49 days this fandom had to wait to find out what happened to Malcolm after Watkins dragged his unconscious body away. That’s just… ::breathe breathe:: The first glimpse we get of Bright shows him lying on a stone floor in handcuffs. We learn that the previous snippet was an unconscious dream. The last thing he heard in that dream? His mother telling him, “You’re not a monster. You’re a survivor.” Her words echo in his head as the audience is shown just how dire his situation really is. 

**1:02** \- This camera angle is delightful. We see Malcolm lying on his back, hear the door open, and then we shift to the camera as his eyeline. Therefore, we see Watkins enter upside down, because that is the angle from which Malcolm sees him. As Malcolm rolls over and sits up, the camera follows his movement. It’s very creative and gets repeated later in the episode. 

**1:29** \- I’ll be honest, when I first saw the tripod legs I thought for sure Watkins was about to film whatever heinous tortures he had in store for Malcolm. The light holds so much more symbolism. 

  * First and foremost, it’s a form of sensory deprivation. It’s silhouetting Watkins, and that entire side of the room preventing Malcolm from seeing anything. Also that’s one hella bright light. It probably hurts your eyes quite a bit. 



  * Secondly, Malcolm BRIGHT is doused in more light than this show typically uses in an entire episode. 



**1:39** \- The Black Title card. 

  * 111 is the first of only two episodes this season to be given the black title card treatment. I’m dying to know the show runners’s reasoning on why they did this, but here’s my interpretation: 
  * 111 and 120 are arguably the lowest points of the season for Malcolm. They are the points at which he is in the most physical danger. His life is literally threatened in both. Additionally, they are the points that he is mentally at his lowest as well. It follows that they would throw us a little easter egg by changing up the title card. 



**1:49** \- ::mumbles faux excitedly:: Hi, Colette. Although thanks for letting us know how long Bright’s been gone. 12 hours. Got it. When this originally aired, we actually needed the flashbacks to remember what the heck had happened to Owen Shannon and Malcolm. That’s what 49 days does to a person! 

**2:22** \- “Bright’s our guy” - Let’s sit back and appreciate the fact that JT just said this sentence. Malcolm’s disappearance affects the entire team in different ways. This is the first episode where we finally see how all of them, not just Gil, consider Bright one of the team. And ALL OF THEM are incredibly worried about their partner. 

**2:29** \- Bless you JT for giving Colette some of the sass she more than deserves! We salute you! 

**3:24** \- World’s Creepiest Grandma 2: The resurgence. 

  * While serenading Colette and Gil, Matilda sings the classic hymn “Praise for the Fountain Opened” 
    * The first verse is supposed to be uplifting “There is a fountain filled with blood/ Drawn from Emmanuel's veins/ And sinners, plunged beneath that flood/ lose all their guilty stains” 
    * It’s a happy song about the blood of Christ washing away a person’s sins. 
    * However, given the fact that her grandson has gone on a decades-long messianic-mission murder spree. That whole “fountain filled with blood” thing takes on a whole different meaning. 
    * When she throws a little improv in there and changes the word Emmanuel to “Policemen’s” veins, it gets all the more chilling. 
    * “You’re little friend is dead, he’s dead, he’s nothing but a stain!” 😳



**7:42** \- Praise Jesus Rovia! Michael Sheen is back!!! 

  * Speaking as a mother, can I just say how absolutely fitting it is that this is the first shot we get of Martin after Sheen’s return from paternity leave. 



**8:03** \- Whoever in the lighting department came up with the idea of this work light on Tom’s face, You deserve all the awards. Finally! 

**8:04** \- Malcolm in EPIC crisis. Silhouetted head of Malcolm as the threat to his life is literally looming in the shadows in front of him. 

**8:13** \- My god this lighting is going to make my head explode! There sits John, the tangible representation of all the darkest parts of Malcolm, gorgeously silhouetted, as Malcolm sits, on his knees simply trying to survive. The English nerd in me has already reached nirvana and we’re not even 10 minutes in yet. 

**8:26** \- How on brand is it that even whilst chained to the floor with a known serial killer, Malcolm is genuinely excited that Watkins is “evolving” right before his eyes. His basically non-existent self preservation mode just flew out the window in the name of science. 

**8:38** \- I love that as we learn more about Watkins, we gradually get more and more light on him. Here we are still in the relative dark about so much regarding him. Thus, we have a small sliver of lit face, while the rest is primarily in the dark. As the episode continues, that gradually changes. 

**9:16** \- I’m sure I’ll end up repeating this multiple times throughout this episode, but man do I love me some Michael Raymond James. He’s a great actor, truly. Even while consistently half lit, and behind a scraggly beard, he emotes so much with his expressions - in particular his eyes. 

**9:32** \- Case in point.

  * Malcolm: I’m not a killer Watkins: Not yet. 
  * There are probably a good 25 different ways MRJ could’ve delivered this line. He could’ve chosen grim and foreboding. Or went with diabolical and teasing. No. MRJ went with childlike excitement. He practically leaps forward in his seat, his hands fly out: he basically has serial killer jazz hands. He isn’t threatening. He isn’t trying to strike fear into Malcolm. He’s literally more excited than a kid at Christmas, at the prospect of training Malcolm to be his partner - the same way Martin trained him. 



**10:03** \- A Lemon-Lime Lollipop. For those playing the home game, this is a call back all the way to episode 3 “Fear Response”. In this episode Malcolm snags a handful of lollipops from his therapist and then proceeds to hand them out to his team at a crime scene. Gil immediately ate his, as did Edrisa later in the episode. Based on the look he gave Bright, JT likely threw his away the next time he was by a trash can. We never saw what Dani did with hers. Now we know. She kept it, and put it in her pen cup to keep. 

Platonic analysis: Dani’s friendship with Malcolm is important enough to her to keep the souvenir. It’s a reminder of him being a thoughtful friend, or maybe even an inside joke to keep, but either way she’s an adult with a sucker in her pen cup because her friend gave it to her. That shows a solid relationship there. 

Brightwell analysis: Honestly it’s very similar to the previous analysis, with one adjustment: Dani keeps the souvenir the way someone in a romantic relationship keeps mementos of important moments with their significant other. While they certainly aren’t anywhere near an item, it could absolutely be a representation of her treasuring something that seemed so small at the time, but really meant more to her than she thought. 

**10:06** \- Let’s talk Dani’s flashbacks

  * The first is the moment from 103 I previously mentioned, likely just a reminder to the audience of the lollipop’s origin, as well as her reaction to it. 
  * Next we hear Malcolm’s surprised and hopeful question from 105: “We’re friends?” This is significant because in that moment Dani tells him “No. Not yet” and they have a heart to heart moment about their inability to get close to people. Also in the previous episode, 110 - we know that Dani “I’ve got issues with trust” Powell officially upgraded Bright to “People I trust” status. Their relationship, whether it has romantic undertones or is strictly platonic, is growing. 
  * “Wanna Dance” - There could be a few arguments for why this particular moment was chosen for a Dani “I’m worried about Bright” flashback
    * 1) she’s remembering him being so goofy and carefree when he was high. And the fact that she threatens to kick him in the business right after is likely a humorous memory for her. 
    * 2) She could potentially have some budding feelings, and in that moment, yes he is carefree and goofy, but he’s also trying to dance with her. And he’s holding her close against him. Were she to be feeling more than platonic things for him, this would probably be a moment that was important to her. 



  * Malcolm tackles Dani while in the middle of a night terror. See my pilot analysis for the extended version of this. ::cracks knuckles:: 
    * As mentioned in my first analysis, Dani had basically no clue who this guy was and he straight up leveled her in the middle of the precinct. Instead of throwing him off of her and defending herself, she comforts him, calls off the officers pointing their weapons, and holds him until he’s awake and realizes what’s happening. That’s HUGE
  * The line she says: “It’s just a bad dream”. This is her internal dialogue right now, as they’re scrambling to find Malcolm. This can’t be happening. It’s just a bad dream. The flashbacks paired with her facial expressions show she’s worried, hurting, and tired of waiting on the FBI to figure this out and save Bright. 



**11:26** \- Martin’s laugh at Gil’s coffee reference is simply delightful. Also the fact that his run in with Martin in ‘98 legitimately changed part of Gil’s behavior is so true to reality. It makes me happy that we see glimpses of this throughout the season.

**13:36** \- Throughout this scene (with Gil and Martin in his cell) the score is relatively upbeat. As Martin toys with Gil, offers up the jokes and witty retorts, the score plays our typical Martin theme. The notes are high, the usual piano and violins play. The second Gil reveals that Malcolm has been taken by Watkins, that all changes. The bottom falls out of the notes just as Martin’s stomach likely has. Martin’s thoughts shift quickly as he panics and you can hear the hint of a heartbeat in the effects as his too begins to race. 

  * Also the quick cuts here to represent Martin spiraling so quickly are very well done. 



**14:32** \- They use the same technique in the next scene as well. While Malcolm is breaking down the horrible punishments that John had to endure as a child, we see several quick cuts and flashes back and forth from present John to his younger life. 

**15:42** \- This shot of both Malcolm and Watkins on their knees on the floor is absolutely beautiful. Malcolm is still bathed in light, and Watkins is cloaked in shadow. Oh the gorgeous symbolism. 

**16:21** \- John reveals the stab wound Malcolm gave him on the camping trip. His memories are coming back in fragments, but they’re still very foggy. Look at this shot, the close up of Bright’s eyes, yet everything is in a haze. The visual representation of his mind in this moment.

**16:46** \- I’ll be honest. When I first watched this episode I was sure the stab was a figment of Malcolm’s imagination. Much like how hallucination!Malcolm stabbed himself in “The Trip”. Boy was I wrong. And Watkins twisting the knife as he pulls it out… ouch. 

**17:12** \- There’s very few moments you’ll hear me outright criticize this show. Very few. But using Me Too as a verb in this context, just doesn’t sit right with me. Feels cheap and unnecessary. 

**18:03** \- This slow pan up from the chains to Malcolm’s hand and eventually his face, mirrors the first time we see him in the episode. There are subtle differences, but the deliberate similarity is obvious. We also see a very different Malcolm at the end of this shot than we did in the beginning. The first time he wakes, he lifts his head quickly and rolls over yelling for help. Then he sees John, and Bright is witty, snarky, profiling every moment. Now, we aren’t sure if he’s alive (I mean he’s the lead so obviously, but he has suffered a serious injury). His eyes open slowly and he doesn’t move his head an inch. Then he starts hallucinating. 

**19:07** \- Initially Dr. Le Deux’s voice was echoed, and seemed to feel far away. Then the moment she says “collect your thoughts” and Malcolm focuses on the hallucination at hand, the echo disappears and she sounds like she’s mere inches from us. 

**19:22** \- Just in case we as an audience weren’t taking the severity of this stab wound seriously, they show us Malcolm’s absolutely coated hand. Bloody message received. 

**20:22** \- “Stop trying to profile and for once in your life PROTECT YOURSELF.” ::entire church erupts into applause and a chorus of “amens”::

**22:50** \- “You might not have any faith in him, but I do” ~ “I did a hell of a lot more for him than you ever did” Absolutely here for Gil putting Martin in his place here. He’s earned that right. 

**24:34** \- for the first time this episode, Watkins’s face is almost completely lit. Why? Because he’s revealed what is probably the largest part of his connection to Malcolm. The more he reveals about his psyche, the more we see of him physically. He shares his story of floating down a river. As he sits against the wall, and reveals his annoyance with the Surgeon that day, he’s fully lit. 

**25:05** \- Then Malcolm asks “Why did I do it” in reference to his stabbing Watkins. John only responds with “You don’t remember the fight?” being deliberately vague - closed off. As soon as he does that, he’s again silhouetted, back in the dark as is Malcolm. When Watkins is back to his manipulative ways, he’s cloaked in shadow. 

**25:27** \- The absolutely annoyed vibes MRJ delivers in this screenshot are a whole mood. 

**25:53** \- “Your father was going to kill you” 

  * This may very well be the biggest revelation of the first season. Here me out: 
    * We’ve known that Martin Whitly is an evil person from literally the first moments of the season. We know he killed at least 23 people, in sadistic ways. We know he’s a master manipulator. But to know that he planned to murder his 10 year old son in cold blood, is a whole other thing entirely. 
    * Malcolm has just learned that Martin made plans to murder him, his own son. The Surgeon, in order to preserve his identity, premeditated the brutal murder of his own child, with another serial killer. In fact, they planned a whole “guys camping weekend” to execute their plan. HIS FLESH AND BLOOD PEOPLE
    * Last episode Jessica said the phrase: “I thought he loved you” to Malcolm, in reference to Martin. The look on his face, when hearing that his father didn’t love him, was heartbreaking. The utter shock and disbelief on his face now, when Watkins reveals this plan, is enough to rip out your insides. 
    * **SPOILER** So much of the rest of Season 1-Malcolm is shaped by this revelation. Especially in the next episode and “Eye of the Needle”



**26:15** \- Ainsley learns Malcolm has been taken: aka more clues to her future that were so easily missed.

  * Jessica tells Ains that her brother has been taken by a known serial killer. Jessica then has to tell Ains to hug her, that this is the normal reaction to hearing your distraught mother tell you about your brother’s kidnapping. Empathy isn’t her strong suit. 
  * As she’s hugging her mother, Ainsley struggles greatly with how to handle that moment. Look at her face and eyes. She’s literally thinking “What am I supposed to say. Think of something caring to say.” It doesn’t come naturally at all; it’s forced. Her chosen remark “It’s okay. ::frantic back pedal:: I mean it’s not ‘okay’, but it will be.” 



  * She manages to recover relatively well with a mini speech about Malcolm’s experience dealing with these kinds of people all the time. Then immediately runs from the emotional moment and brings up the photos she saw to try and shift away from it. 



**27:53** \- “We will need bourbon.” Iconic line from the season, and one of my favorite gifs to use in a group chat. 

**28:53** \- “Face it, you’re just like me. You judge. You hunt.” 

  * This is a very interesting take on profiling from Watkins’s POV. He’s honestly not wrong. Malcolm studies people, learns their habits and techniques. He puts himself in their headspace and thinks like the people who commit the most heinous of crimes. Then he hunts them, not entirely dissimilar to how a killer hunts their targets. Now the MAJOR difference here is that at the end of the hunt, Malcolm/ the NYPD arrest their quarry and bring them to justice instead of killing them. But that’s absolutely the focus of this little speech. Is Malcolm really THAT far away from truly being his father’s son? It is a theme that follows for the rest of this episode, not to mention it’s basically the entire arc of the whole season (until that crazy plot twist in the finale).



**29:52** \- Mr. Boots - Turns out Ainsley had an “imaginary friend” when she was little. Conveniently, this friend started appearing a short while before Martin was arrested. This friend gave her an angel figurine, one that matches the set that Creepy Grandma has on her mantle. Watkins was Mr. Boots. 

  * Unfortunately, the depth of Ains having Watkins as an “imaginary friend” didn’t get as much exploration as the writers originally intended when we had to cut episodes (thanks COVID). We did get to see a little of that unused footage in the season two renewal announcement clip, though. I’m interested as to whether or not they continue to explore this in the second season. Of course the things I’m curious about in season two could be a whole other ten-thousand-word post. Perhaps I’ll get to that when I finish these before season 2 begins. 



**30:10** \- Watkins always killed his victims in the most distanced way he could. Prior to slitting Owen Shannon’s throat, he’d never performed a murder in a “hands on method”. In this scene he’s threatening Malcolm’s family, calling them his fatal flaw and the sacrifice trial he needs to endure. And what weapon does Watkins pull as he’s threatening to go after Jessica and Ainsley? An axe. Nothing more “hands on” than hacking away at some body parts.

  * Just ask Malcolm. He has some experience in this particular area. 
  * Additionally…. Let’s consider the fact that John never performed his murders up close and personal. Yet back in 98 (ish) he was more than ready to join Martin on that camping trip with the full intention of helping The Surgeon murder his son. He was attempting to evolve back then as well, but Martin backed out and Malcolm thwarted his plans. I wonder if getting stabbed by Malcolm, having a potential victim fight back like that, pushed Watkins back to his original MO. And only now, when he thinks he can mentor Malcolm like Martin mentored him, is he ready to get more personal with his victims again. 



**30:18** \- Tom’s reaction shots to Watkins threatening his family are both gorgeous (another shoutout to lighting, hair, makeup, and set design - honestly everyone really) and so well performed. You can see so much in just his eyes: fear, panic, wheels turning - trying to think of a way to stop John. It’s a joy to watch. 

**30:33** \- I can't be the only one who thought Colette looked INSANELY uncomfortable with that giant weapon. It’s almost laughably long. Was this a conscious choice to try and make her more “badass” than the pistol-wielding NYPD? If so, nothing about how she’s holding this gun screams “I’ve done this before and I’ve got skills”. It’s half as tall as she is. 

Additionally, not buying that she shouldered that cellar door open either. Just sayin. 

**32:09** \- Throughout this speech, aside from Tom and Michael’s glorious performances, all I could think about was how raspy Tom’s voice sounds. Did he screw up his voice this week the various times he had to scream? Was it an effect of the emotional overload this episode undoubtedly brought? More takes than usual? Or was it simply an acting choice to show how desperate Malcolm is in this moment? Much like the later episodes, in which Tom is CLEARLY sick af, it’s very noticeable. 

**32:20** \- I love how MRJ manipulates the props he’s using. Early in the episode he was rubbing the hunting knife around his face. How he’s practically kissing this axe as he bends down next to Malcolm. Then he’s rubbing it on his forehead. It’s very unsettling, and absolutely perfect for Watkins’s character. 

**32:40** \- The cross cut scenes between the cabin and where Malcolm is actually being held

  * I really enjoy how these two scenes play out alongside each other. The way we see the team learn that Malcolm isn’t on the cabin property at the same John reveals their true location to Malcolm. As this is happening, we as the audience get the same revelation and go from “Okay he’s the lead. The team’s on the property, so he’s gonna be fine” to “Oh sh!t. Malcolm (and Jessica and Ainsley) are in some real legitimate danger”. I’m a huge fan of not giving ANY character plot armor. 
    * For those who might not be privy “Plot Armor” is the term for when a character is too important to a show/movie and you know any peril they’re in is superficial and they’ll always make it out one way or another. They’re just too imperative to the show and it’s ratings. Think the polar opposite of George R. R. Martin’s line of thought. I personally am not a fan of this. If my character is in danger, I want to actually feel the rush of fear and concern that this could be it. Nothing kills a good dramatic/whump buzz like knowing before it’s even started that no matter what, the character will survive. 



**33:08** \- “He’s not here” - The crack in Dani’s voice says it all. They were wrong, Malcolm is still out there somewhere and they have no idea where. She’s officially terrified. Brightwell shippers will add the additional emotion of her potentially having budding feelings for Bright into the mix and honestly that’s super heartbreaking. 

**34:39** \- Gotta love the horror tropes here. The creepy fingers as Watkins opens the door. The axe reveal. The quick zoom in on the fear on Jessica’s face. Her whispered, frantic “run!”. Classic. And well done indeed. 

**35:05** \- ::clears throat:: CAN WE PLEASE STOP FORCING WOMEN IN FILM TO STAY IN PSYCHOTICALLY HIGH HEELS AS THEY’RE RUNNING FROM IMMINENT DANGER? This is absolutely the STUPIDEST thing in Hollywood. Well, one of the stupidest. No woman in their right mind is going to leave those things on if they’re trying to outrun the axe murder they just saw in their basement. It’s idiotic, it’s demeaning, it’s sexist af. Their asses don’t need to look good as they run for their lives. I can’t with this. I just CAN’T! ::slow breaths::

**35:09** \- Jess, sweetie, the power just went out. That light switch isn’t going to do anything. Come on, hun. 

**35:24** \- Sorry if it feels like this scene is a complaint fest but honestly… No way did the force of that lamp hitting John flip him hard enough to cause his leg to fly up in the air. Not to be rude or anything, but no part of Jessica fighting back against Watkins here, WHILE STILL IN THOSE RIDICULOUS SHOES, feels realistic. He’s a seasoned serial killer with decades of experience overpowering people, who’s brandishing an axe. I have a VERY hard time believing that the same woman who just tried to turn on the lights after the power went out, and who later brings scissors to an axe fight, is going to stand a chance against him. Lamp or no lamp. I’m all for the whole strong, independent Jessica thing, but this is beyond that. It’s past suspension of disbelief. 

**35:33** \- The axe flip by Watkins is pretty badass. NGL.

**35:38** \- Yet another shot of Malcolm chained laying down. Again, we pan up his body until we reach his head. This time his eyes aren’t closed. But he is almost catatonic: his response to the fact that Watkins is currently hunting his family and he’s chained here, stuck. 

**36:02** \- The shift from Dr. Le Deux to Martin

  * This. Is. MAJOR!
  * Dr. Le Deux is who Malcolm goes to for guidance through his trauma. She is the voice of reason, the calm in the storm that is his turbulent mind. She preaches self love and preservation constantly. And as a hallucination in this episode specifically, she literally saved his life by talking him through sitting up and stopping the bleeding from his wound. 
  * Now, as he is trying to handle the fact that his family is about to be murdered, his psyche flips the switch. Goodbye Gabrielle. Hello Martin Whitly. 
  * Again we have this awesome “Malcolm’s perspective” camera angle. It spins and flips the way his world has turned on its head. 
  * Martin is less about self preservation and more about “get your ass up and do something about Watkins!”
  * Martin is also in the absolutely darkest part of Malcolm’s psyche. If this is where he has gone. He is in the worst possible headspace he can be in. 



**37:10** \- “The diameter of the restraint is three inches. The width of your hand is five inches. So, all you have to do is make your hand three inches. That’s just math.”

  * Yet another reason why numbers are not your friend ~ says the English teacher. 



**38:45** \- ::pinches bridge of nose:: Again, Jess. The power’s out. The electronic security system will not be of any help. ::rubs temples::

**39:09** \- The hammer scene

  * Never has the shot of a hand brought with it such a foreboding sense of dread. Even right now… I know what’s about to happen. And still I’m already cringing. 
  * The lack of music here is poignant. Just that dreadful boom that resonates. It’s powerful.
  * The fact that they up the volume of Malcolm’s breath’s and whispered countdown plays a big part too. It makes you feel like you’re next to him. 
  * OMG the crunch. It’s nauseating. 
  * Tom’s scream...
  * Tom’s Scream...
  * Rips out your soul, lights it on fire, then forces it down your throat. 
  * It’s haunting. 



**39:31** \- The switch has been flipped. 

  * Malcolm gives himself exactly five seconds to deal with the pain of rearranging the bones in his hand, then immediately turns it off and gets to work. 
  * This BAMF just jerks his newly wrecked hand right out of that handcuff, wraps that sucker in some cloth like he got a mild cut, grabs himself a crowbar, and rolls out with a look in his eyes that makes the audience think “This is Martin Whitly’s son”.



  * Honestly that look, the selection of the crowbar, his family being threatened… All signs lead to “if backed into a corner, this man will go feral and do whatever it takes”.



**40:06** \- I’m sure it’s copyrighted, but I cannot express how freaking pissed I am that we effed up the opportunity for Watkins to pull the “Here’s Johnny” from The Shining. There is no excuse for this! I’m still not over it. It’s simply unforgivable. 

**40:10** \- “This is My House” - Finally a new score song! And boy does this one deliver! 

  * Everything about the composition of this music is threatening. The cello and bass combined with the banging on the lowest keys of a piano sounds like impending doom. If you close your eyes you can almost picture some mythological giant stomping toward its victims. The point is: The Threat Is Coming. And the threat being showcased isn’t Watkins. It’s a barefoot, beaten, and bloodied Malcolm. The way he slow walks, carrying that crowbar, his chains clinking ominously. He looks every bit the horror film villain right now. It’s frightening. 



  * 40:22 - This shot of Malcolm though. He hears his mother’s cries as John is chopping through the door upstairs. And the look… It’s vengeance in human form. It’s wrath. It chills you to your bones. 



  * At 40:29 (the :23 second mark in the score), the higher stringed violins join. If the lower instruments were the terrifying stomps of the threat to your life, the violins are the scurrying villagers trying to escape their demise. Their notes are hurried, frantic, where the others are slow, precise, deliberate. 
  * Random Note: the violins at :23 sound eerily similar to the violins in the opening credits of The Walking Dead. RIP, Jesus. RIP. 
  * 40:40 “This is my house!” The yelled name, this declaration. Malcolm is taking his power back in a big way. As soon as he finishes that sentence, :31 into the song, the music seamlessly shifts into a mash up of what we’ve been hearing combined with the opening notes of the “We’re the Same” theme. Even though Watkins is the one literally threatening Malcolm, Jessica, and Ainsley’s lives, all of this comes back to Martin. And he’s there as they fight to survive, via the score. 



  * 41:08 (:57 mark in the song) we get the classic high to low slide on the strings, this is very much a horror film trope. There’s something incredibly uncomfortable about hearing such high notes, let alone the nails on a chalkboard feeling it is to your ears when they slowly slide down each note. The harder the musicians press the bows into the strings, the more the sound feels like it’s grinding your ear drums. This happens as Watkins is scouring the house for Malcolm. The tides have turned, he’s the one being threatened. Watkins is on the defensive now. 
  * 41:17 (1:08 in the song) - When Watkins turns to see the open trunk/box - there’s a really cool part as the notes are sliding down to the lowest part where Blume adds some eerie sound effects. When those effects enter, if you’re wearing headphones/earbuds, you’ll hear the effects slide back and forth from one ear to the other. It almost makes your head sway back and forth with it, like you’re falling with the notes, no longer in control of yourself. Coincidently, this is EXACTLY what we’re supposed to think is happening to Malcolm right now. We don’t know how he’s going to handle Watkins. He’s in a downward spiral. 
  * Immediately following these effects, there’s a glorious heartbeat that gets added to the baseline of the score. It’s Watkins’s. He’s facing his childhood fear. The closer he gets to the box the more the music begins to crescendo, growling slowly louder and more intense until…
  * 41:43 (1:31) Malcolm is revealed behind Watkins, who’s mid breakdown. We’ve fully transitioned into the “We’re the Same” theme. What is Malcolm going to do? Will he seek revenge for the suffering Watkins has inflicted on him and his family? They brilliantly cut away before we know for sure the extent of what Malcolm intends to do to Watkins. 



  * When we finally reach the falling action of the song, we get a single slammed piano note that echoes, resonates through to the end. It’s very final. Very “It’s done”. And given what we’ve seen. We aren’t exactly sure what that “it” is. 
  * Absolutely gorgeous piece of composition on Blume’s part. Bravo, sir. ::wipes music nerd drool::



**42:02** \- Immediately following the Instrumental music gasm, they give us the absolute tour de force soundtrack selection that is “To Believe” by The Cinematic Orchestra (ft. Moses Sumney).

  * Do yourself a favor and listen to this entire song. It’s epic. And I’m not saying that like “Oh man it’s totally epic” I’m saying that as in it is enormous in scale. The vocal talents of Mr. Moses Sumney backed by an entire orchestra!
  * 42:16: We are shown the box, locked with a crowbar through the latch. We hear Watkins breaking down inside it. Malcolm didn’t kill him. Despite everything that has happened, he chose the side of good. 
  * Here’s the lyrics that play beneath this final scene, especially the bolded portion (Note a line is cut out in the episode for timing)



Turn ‘round, wake a little

Holdin’, save the little girl

That you found, you found, you found

(Cut line)

And when our worlds collide

Eyes remember every lie

**Are you able? Find your ground**

**With all the people falling down**

**Tell the world that saw you head for hell**

**I can be something you believe in.**

**42:44** \- “Are you okay?!” “I’m alive” - This answer from Malcolm holds in it so much. He doesn’t lie to his mother. He is anything but okay. Physically, he almost died. Mentally, he’s practically in the same boat. The best he can do is reassure her that he’s still here. 

**43:08** \- This final shot of the episode speaks volumes! Ainsley runs to her brother, embracing him in relief. Smiles cover both her and Jessica’s faces. They did it! They survived. Their family is alive and okay. Until the camera reaches Malcolm. He’s hugging them, sure. But his eyes are completely dead. The revelation that his father intended to kill him has broken Malcolm. 


	12. 112 - Internal Affairs

**112 - Internal Affairs**

After the last episode, we are left wondering how Malcolm is going to handle the information given to him by John Watkins. Martin Whitly plotted to murder his own son in cold blood. It’s one thing to know your father is a serial killer. It’s another thing entirely to know that you were intended to be one of his victims. Dealing with this revelation alone would be enough to break someone. But let’s not forget, Malcolm was also kidnapped, beaten, stabbed, and took a hammer to his own hand to escape his captivity and protect his family. He’s been through some sh!t. 

This episode focuses on the aftermath of these events. Malcolm is spiraling mentally, which is affecting his physical health, as per usual. Just how far will Malcolm go for answers or to try and escape his past? 

**A small complaint before we begin**

::Clears throat:: 

Dear writers of Prodigal Son, 

Hi! It’s me, Ang. Big fan. 

That being said…

HOW COULD YOU DENY US THE SCENE WHERE THE TEAM REUNITES WITH MALCOLM AFTER HIS CAPTIVITY?!?!?!?!? How, I ask you? HOW? It could’ve been at Jessica’s house. It could’ve been in the hospital. SOMETHING! 

::breathes:: 

I still love you. I just… need time. 

**1:00** \- Let’s talk about the first 60 seconds of this episode. You have to appreciate the Tarantino move here: showing us the “end” and then going back to the beginning to flesh out the details. We open mid argument between Malcolm and Gil, something we don’t get often. We get a few snarky comments or looks here and there. Gil calls him out for some unwise decisions on the job, frequently. But this is the first outright verbal confrontation we’ve seen them in. We aren’t shown what started it, but we see the end. Gil tells Malcolm to get the hell out of his precinct and slams his office door. 

  * This scene is grounded through Dani’s perspective. We don’t hear the conversation until she walks in the room. And then we only hear what she can. The whole rest of the scene is through her lens as well. She sees Bright’s instant guilt at what he said to Gil as well as the aftermath: him running to the conference room and apparently shocking himself, causing the power to go out in the precinct. 
  * The music during this whole scene is pretty generic. Low string notes, which naturally give us the feeling that something bad is happening. There’s nothing very dramatic to steer our attention away from the dialogue. That is until, 
  * :26 Dani watches Malcolm turn his head, his attention seemingly caught by something she cannot see. The sound that happens as he turns though, tells us that whatever he’s seen or is focused on, is not good! We get a combo of thumping drum sounds, tubular bells (the “for whom the bell tolls” sound), and the low strings hit a bit harder too. All of these combine for a delightfully creepy “HEY! Pay attention”. Then we add the higher strings, the violins. They’re doing that horror filmy thing where they just flutter the bow on the string as fast as possible. The intensity grows quickly, as Bright locks himself in the conference room 



**1:09** \- Shout to Bright for not only taking out the precinct’s power but a legitimate section of midtown Manhattan as well. 

**1:35** \- Everything about this scene gives me the Papa!Gil feels. This could easily be him helping Malcolm with his tie for Prom. Tom looks incredibly young in this moment, both physically as well as his actions and mannerisms. The “quality three hours of sleep” joke is prime also. 

**2:30** \- Hey there, lighting department. I see what you did here. The good Dr. Coppenrath is backlit by the conference room windows, leaving him slightly shadowed. Fitting, since we don’t know how to feel about him yet; he’s a mystery to the audience. 

**3:37** \- Here we begin the frame tale. To those who aren’t the massive English nerds as I am: a frame tale is a story that tells another story. The majority of this episode is told via the team, as answers to Dr. Coppenrath’s questions. They are in the present day, telling the events of the past. Thus, a frame tale. What’s nice about a frame tale is that you can get the character’s opinion and thoughts about an event after it’s occurred. It offers extra detail that way. 

I love this scene: the various clips of the team being interviewed about “the incident”

  * “...and I say that as a friend” Guys! JT just identified himself as Bright’s friend. You heard it here first! 



  * “I’d been in the hospital for weeks” - Oh had you? Funny… WE NEVER SAW ANY OF THAT! ::breathes again:: I’m fine… I’m fine. 
  * “And I emerged unscathed! Well scathed… moderately scathed.” A favorite line amongst my fellow PS nerds. 
  * One of my favorite lines in the entire first season: Dr. Coppenrath - “Were you concerned about Bright’s mental state?” JT - “Of course I was. If Bright was an actual state, he’d be Florida.” 😂😂



**6:03** \- “My son sleeps in chains, subsists on sparkling water and licorice, and can barely take care of a parakeet. But, he is still here.” 

That’s the key: He’s still here. I mean honestly. Think about EVERYTHING Malcolm Bright has endured since he was 11 years old, hell 10. And not just the Whitly family trauma, or the John Watkins trauma. In the pilot alone we watched him talk down a suspect then get covered in his blood splatter as he was shot right in front of him. These are the kinds of things that happen to him relatively frequently. AND HE’S STILL HERE. The fact that he’s upright and even halfway functioning on a daily basis is nothing short of a miracle. 

**7:10** \- Cute use of Edrisa to give us some stab wound intel. 7 stitches. Noted. It’s definitely on brand that she would’ve creeped into his med records to keep track of how he was doing. Now let’s see that scar at some point. Looking at you season 2 writers! 

**9:27** \- Look at the background here. Bright has broken off from the group to investigate this hallucination. Gil and JT have no idea he’s not there with them, they’re rolling out. But who noticed Bright wasn’t there, turned, and is now watching him intently? DANI. Friend vibes, or more than friend vibes? Either way, it’s obvious she’s worried about him. 

**9:50** \- Bright hallucinates his child self in a grave - I mean honestly that sentence alone speaks for itself, but I’m kind of addicted to overanalyzing things, so let’s. First off, we’re having full on, broad daylight hallucinations here, not night terrors. And this is the first time he’s hallucinated someone/something not related to TGITB. We all know why the change has occurred. Secondly, baby Bright, as I affectionately call him, is reminding adult Malcolm, “He tried to kill us”. This is Malcolm’s psyche trying to come to terms with the information he’s been given. When his psyche was already fractured to begin with, this is what happens. 

You’ll notice that the hallucination gets progressively more and more horrid looking as the episode goes on. 

**11:18** \- Keiko you’re a gift. The way this woman dry delivers a line is amazing. “Oh don’t write that.” 

**12:05** \- I thought I heard it a few minutes ago when they were at the crime scene in the cemetery, but I DEFINITELY hear it here. Our leading man is sick. Or at least has some head cold stuffiness. You can absolutely tell when he’s talking about the Vosler institute in Edrisa’s lab. (It’s nowhere near as obvious as 117 though - more on that when we get there) 

**12:50** \- Okay, so I absolutely love the show Graceland (Aaron Tveit people, come on) and I also watched Rescue Me religiously back in the day. And I got hella excited when Daniel Sunjata’s name popped up on    
IMDb for this episode. Love seeing some amazing talent drop in and grace us for an episode. 

**14:47** \- For those who are unfamiliar with the Meyers Briggs personality test/types. See the chart below. It separates people into one of 16 different categories based on a series of questions. Remarkably spot on in my case. ENFJ for me. It’s fun to take a free text online and see where you fall and if you feel it’s accurate. 

**16:01** \- We’ve known for the entire season that Malcolm is willing to go to borderline (and sometimes blatantly) insane lengths for both a case and to get the answers he needs about his past. Now he’s sitting in a restraining chair, willingly offering himself up for electroshock therapy. This is, in small part, for the case, but on the grander scale, in an effort to banish his hallucinations. The visions of his child self are haunting him to the point of literally allowing some snake oil salesman to shock him in the head. That is a level of desperation that we haven’t seen yet. And frankly it’s frightening. 

**16:48** \- Coppenrath: “So what did you do?” Bright: “Oh I let him shock me”. The look on Malcolm’s face says it all. He’s in no way ashamed or contrite about letting them shock him. He’s happy he did it. Proud even. 

**17:53** \- “Nothing’s more important than the case… When I put myself in danger to find a killer, I’m not thinking about me. I’m thinking about them, the victims.” 

  * This quote may very well be the most revealing and poignant line Malcolm has the entire season. 
  * For 11 episodes we’ve wondered if this man has a death wish. If he’s so desperate for the truth/to catch killers like his father that there’s no tactic off limits. Is he so arrogant that he thinks he’s too smart to die? Has the trauma affected him so much that he simply doesn’t care about the value of his own life? This line answers our questions. 
    * He does it out of guilt. It’s his penance for the lives that wouldn’t have been lost if he would have solved his father’s case sooner. He sort of does have a death wish, in that he will put his on the line without a second thought in the name of helping a victim. They outrank his own sense of self preservation. Every. Single. Time. 
    * This revelation is a MAJOR moment in the season as well as the development of Bright as a character. We know his M.O. now. At least when it comes to casework. 



**21:02** \- The last payphone in NYC. 

  * So I thought for sure, there’s no way there’s a payphone still chilling on random blocks in NYC. Turns out I was wrong! Admittedly I don’t live anywhere near the city, though I’ve visited a handful of times. So I did some digging. 
  * Apparently there are still hundreds of payphones throughout the 5 boroughs. As of March 2020 however, there was a plan to remove the vast majority of them. Whether or not the onset of COVID-19 changed these plans I don’t know. Based on the news articles I found, it looks like many of these phone booths are getting replaced with something called LinkNYC, which is a free wifi initiative started by the mayor and a number of committee members. They plan to offer literally free wifi to those on the streets of Manhattan, exchanging advertising revenue for the labor it will take to lay the wire needed to complete the project. It’s actually pretty interesting if you check it out. 



**21:42** \- Okay, if there was a chance you thought I was crazy about the Tom being ill this week of production. This moment right here PROVES Tom was definitely sick during filming. Listen to his voice. It’s deeper than usual and even a bit raspy. If I’m not mistaken I think he or someone commented on social media about him having a respiratory issue this week. 

**22:08** \- Selfish moment. Any time Malcolm goes a little feral it brings me joy! 

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**22:31** \- “Okay, I wasn’t fine. I’m a mess. But I’m a mess that works.” The accuracy with which this describes my life is frightening. I feel personally attacked. And I use the gif on an almost daily basis.

**24:35** \- I mean seriously. Bless this poor sick man. 

**26:40** \- “I mean how hard is it to accept a trust fund, settle down, and pop out a few grandchildren?” The absolute shade Jessica throws at Malcolm here is delightful. And His side-eye glare in response... ::chef’s kiss::

**29:00** \- Malcolm and Gil’s argument

  * Am I the only one who can’t stop staring at the way Tom holds this pen while he’s talking? 



  * “Like this” - clearly this phrase is a bit of a trigger for Bright. Whether he’s heard the exact words before, or it’s just those words, from Gil’s mouth, in the midst of his breakdown, this set’s Malcolm off. 
  * “I’m ‘like this’ because of Martin Whitly, because of John Watkins, because of YOU!” 
    * The look on Gil’s face after Malcolm groups him in with Martin and John says it all. If Bright was looking to hurt his surrogate father, he’s succeeded. But as so often happens with children, they often blame their parents for many of their struggles. Sometimes they’re right to. In this case... 
    * To be fair, these are without a doubt the three men who have shaped Malcolm’s life the most. The issue is that two of them have done so in the most abominable ways imaginable. 
  * Malcolm calls Gil out on asking him for help with his cases. 
    * Let it be known that I fully see this as Malcolm lashing out due to being incredibly overwhelmed with everything. 
    * That being said, he’s not exactly “wrong” here. His mental health, and by extension his physical health, all went downhill from the moment he started working on cases with the NYPD. Because of Gil asking him to help, he started seeing his father again, having visions that led him to investigating his past, ran into Watkins, and has been put through the whump ringer. Now obviously none of this is what Gil intended, but his seeking out Bright is the catalyst of all this. The profiler just happens to be twisting it to work for his anger at this moment. 
    * Lou Diamond Phillips, you rock this scene. The pain on your face at being lumped in with those two men… nicely done. 



**29:45** \- Tom’s voice breaking as he says “Gil no” hits right in the feels. Malcolm realizes what he said to the only real father he has. And he feels horrible immediately.

**29:58** \- So, after seeing this scene in full now, we know some things were edited to keep from revealing too much at the onset of the episode. I also love this moment here. When Malcolm turns and sees his child self again. When we first saw this scene, we saw it through Dani’s eyes. Thus, the music changes as soon as Bright turns his head. Now, when we are living this moment via Malcolm, the music doesn’t shift when he turns his head, but rather when baby Malcolm appears. It’s the same sound from the opening scene as well, which is a nice touch. 

  * I also appreciate how whenever we see the young Malcolm hallucination everything around him shakes violently. We are in Bright’s psyche after all, and the pillars of his mind are crumbling at an alarming rate. It stands to reason that every time we see the hallucination his mind metaphorically shakes just as his hands to in reality. 



**30:09** \- Since when does the conference room door automatically lock? That’s never been the case before. Bright definitely didn’t lock it when he slammed it closed. Feels like a convenient time for this to start happening in the name of the plot. 

**30:20** \- Malcolm’s hallucinations are following him, growing in number, and getting closer with each appearance. That’s important. 

**30:26** \- Back when Malcolm was allowing the Vosler institute to use this electroshock device on him, we saw numbers like 3 and 4 show up before they used it on him. Now he’s cranked that sucker up to 13 and 14. This shows us just how desperate he is and it’s absolutely terrifying. This is needle-at-his-arm-ready-to-die Bright, only now he’s ready to go in a far more violent manner. 

Despite it all, the only thing I could think of when I watched him turn that dial insanely high was this: 

**31:20** \- Malcolm reveals the truth to Dr. Coppenrath

  * There’s a lot to consider here. Did Malcolm always intend to reveal this secret to the Dr? Having seen this episode before and knowing how it ends, we know Malcolm is playing the Dr. throughout the interview process. But, I always wondered if revealing this truth was part of the plan, or if Malcolm ended up forced to reveal it to get the info he needed from Coppenrath.
  * Additionally, he’s not just telling the doctor. He’s telling his whole team. This room is bugged, they’re listening and watching the entire time to be ready once Bright gets the intel he needs. For him to openly say this to Simon, means he’s openly telling his entire team as well. That’s some serious trust. Malcolm knows at this point that Coppenrath is the deprogrammer and all he needs to do is weasel a confession. He knows that this I.A. interview isn’t likely to result in his termination. But him telling the team the truth- about his father’s intent to kill him, and the subsequent hallucinations he’s having, that absolutely could result in him being dismissed from the team, committed even, if one of them turns him in. 
  * Malcolm: reveals intense emotional and psychological trauma to Simon. Simon: “Yep, your dad’s crazy, so anyway… 



**35:24** \- After showing us this particular scene 3 times, the audience finally learns that we’ve been hoodwinked. Malcolm never shocked himself in the conference room. Seeing this moment from so many different angles and perspectives was some genius storytelling. Adding the fact that it was all very misleading is just that much smarter on the writers’ part. 

**35:39** \- Gorgeous lighting alert! Look at those stripes from the blinds. Bonus point for Bright’s wayward strand of hair!

**36:53** \- Another self-indulgent moment. The nervous lip lick on Malcolm’s part is... nice. (Thanks for the gif use @Malcolmwhumply)

  * I also love the detail of those outside the conference room reacting to this moment. The team instantly draws, since they’re watching. But if you listen you’ll also hear two different people yelling “Gun!” to alert the rest of the precinct what’s happening. It’s a very realistic detail and I appreciate it. 



**38:17** \- Now, when Malcolm is about to shock Simon, the device reads 190! I suppose that was necessary to buy the fact that the shock would throw him back a foot. But I’m curious if these numbers were researched at all or random. Where my electroshock therapy experts at? 

**39:20** \- Oh the hand cupping the head during the emotional hug. Something I’m quite fond of. 

**39:49** \- Gil: “Are you okay?” Malcolm: “I’m f-- … No. I don’t think I am.” 

  * FINALLY! Bright admits he is absolutely NOT okay. And who would be after the things he’s gone through? It’s poetic and beautiful that the first person he admits this to is Gil. Numerous people have asked him this same question time and again. But Gil gets the honest answer. A true father/son moment and a nice way to rectify their earlier spat. 



**40:11** \- Just to solidify my uber-nerd status, at this time stamp you can hear Tom inhale through his nose before responding. And he is mega congested as he does. It’s almost a tiny snore. Yes I’m a loser for noticing this. I’m well aware, thank you. 

**40:24** \- Malcolm’s sweater appreciation post. I’m conditioned to hyper notice any time Bright is wearing something other than a suit. This is a lovely color on Tom given the insane color of his eyes. Again, I’m well aware, thank you. 

**40:25/58/41:05** \- Another of the handful of times we get a genuine smile out of Malcolm/Tom. It’s simply beautiful. 

**42:08** \- Malcolm talks to the hallucination of his younger self. 

  * He’s acknowledging its existence as something that must be worked through. He’s acknowledging the trauma and its major effects on him. 
  * This Is the first time in the episode that the hallucination isn’t dead. It’s just regular baby Malcolm. Meaning Malcolm isn’t completely lost. 
  * I absolutely ADORE the fact that Adult Malcolm is hurting, struggling, and says to his younger self “He tried to kill us” and Young Malcolm replies, with authority “But he didn’t”. This hallucination spent the entire episode haunting Malcolm with one phrase “he tried to kill us”. And now in the end, it’s rejecting that phrase and offering some empowerment. It’s incredibly poetic and beautiful writing. 



**42:30** \- Sunshine spotting! Look at her roaming the apartment. 

**42:45** \- Total side note. LOVING the chessboard on Malcolm’s coffee table. The design is very modern and edgy. And I want it.

**42:49** \- “We’re gonna be okay” The fact that Malcolm believes this enough to say it out loud is just so heart-warming. It’s the first real sign of hope we’ve seen in him in a very long time (conveniently leading into the episode titled “Wait and Hope”). Much needed and a rare light note for the episode to end on. 

Next time we have one of my top 5 episodes of the season: White suits, triggered land mines, Dani in a jaw dropping dress… we’re in for a treat! See ya soon. 


	13. 113 - Wait & Hope

**113 - Wait & Hope**

And that is absolutely the theme of this episode. From the case of the week, to Malcolm’s (in)ability to handle the notion that his father likely tried to kill him, much of this episode focuses on trying to get through some pretty horrific situations, to try and find that hope. 

**:27** \- “I mean this cancel culture has just gotten a little out of hand” - Am I the only one who finds it odd that Martin has any idea what this is. This entire phenomenon stems from the internet and social media, none of which existed when Martin was sent to Claremont. I suppose maybe he could have learned this from his TV time? It just feels off that he knows about something like that. 

**1:14** \- What little hope I had that this scene might be reality, and Malcolm might actually be saying the things he really needs to say to Martin, died as soon as he stepped across that line. That being said, it was totally badass and I seriously wish he had done it. 

**1:15** \- Shout out to this camera angle, which helps hide some of the height difference between Tom and Michael, while still making Martin look imposing and threatening to his son. 

**1:20** \- the entire score for this scene has been faint but high string notes, screeching like a less-intense horror film score, up until the point where Malcolm walks across that line. As soon as he does the strings drop about 2-3 octaves and that bass thump kicks in. You know, the one they use any time something serious and surprising happens in a scene. Sh!t just got real, but unfortunately not “real” real. 

**1:22** \- Loving the symbolism of Martin’s tether retracting. That this is his worst nightmare. As far as leashes for serial killers go, The Surgeon is tied to a pretty generously long one. The freedoms and amenities he gets in his cell (while later explained to an extent) are outlandish. For Martin, the worst thing that could happen to him is for those things to disappear, for him to be pulled back in and kept on a far stricter and tighter leash. Malcolm’s words being the thing that retracts the tether makes it all the more symbolic and profound imagery. 

**1:36** \- For once, we open an episode with someone else’s nightmare. Martin jerks awake, just as his son does practically every morning, after having experienced his version of a horrifying night terror: Malcolm rejecting him forever. 

**2:11** \- Martin bed head: When your forest of lawless follicles goes completely rogue and madness ensues.

**2:18** \- The ABSOLUTE BEST MUSIC CUE of the first season. 

  * “I haven’t spoken to my boy in weeks” - cue the opening bass line of the absolutely iconic Queen & David Bowie song “Under Pressure”. Conveniently exactly how Malcolm feels about most things related to Martin. 



**2:26** \- The montage of Malcolm attempting to find some peace through yoga, and subsequently still having flashbacks to his trauma, while this song overlays is just genius. 

**3:14** \- You have to appreciate a good call back. Malcolm’s almost empty fridge and his choice of breakfast calls back to the previous episode. When Jessica is talking to Dani in Bright’s apartment she says “My son sleeps in chains, subsists on sparkling water and licorice, and can barely take care of a parakeet. But, he is still here.” The only thing in his fridge was indeed the sparkling water and he had a container of licorice at the ready on his counter. Nothing like a well balanced diet. 

  * Notice that the ONLY thing we ever see Malcolm actually eat this season, is lollipops. (And a few slurps of soup in the pilot - Thanks Caroline !- but that’s basically a drink in a bowl, so I’m not counting that).
  * In the pilot our boy uttered this line in Edrisa’s lab: “Yeah, well, most food makes me sick.” We as an audience assume that issue stems from his trauma and various diagnoses: generalized anxiety disorder, PTSD, etc. Perhaps it’s a side effect of one or more of the numerous medications he takes. Regardless, we are informed that Malcolm has what seems to be a hate/hate relationship with food. 
  * Throughout the rest of the season we NEVER see our lead eating anything substantial. He grabs some licorice in this episode but never bites it, in the future he makes dinner for Eve but ever touches it.
  * This is no doubt a deliberate choice on the creators/writers’ part to continue that theme. That Malcolm’s trauma is wreaking havoc on his body - not just by depriving him of sleep, but the ability to ingest food as well. 



**3:43** \- Speaking of things that are iconic… THE WHITE SUIT

  * This is not a drill folks, we’ve made it. 
  * Real talk: when I watched this episode live the first thing I thought when I saw him walk out of the bathroom was. Oh dear Jesus, they’re going to cover that thing in blood spatter for sure. Why else would he wear a white suit in NYC? 
  * Jess: “You look wonderful” Malcolm: “Do I?” This is every teenager forced to try on clothes with a parent.
  * Totally random, but Malcolm’s bathroom has a window. We get a quick sneaky glance here. Unsure why but I didn’t really expect it to have one. Weird head canon. 
  * “You’ll be sleeping in a hammock - restrained of course” The image of this cracks me up every time. All I see is Malcolm flipped around in a hammock and immobilized. 



**4:51** \- Okay HOW is this single bag all Malcolm is taking on a vacation? This has to be wrong right? There’s other luggage that Jess just had first-class-shipped to whatever private island she’s rented out for her son’s getaway? I know guys stereotypically pack less than girls, but that is insanity. 

**4:55** \- The roast of Malcolm Bright: White Suit Edition

  * The team roasting Bright over the suit is, quite frankly, some of the best dialogue of the season - Edrisa in particular, but I’m getting ahead of myself here. 
  * Gil starts us off with “Nice suit”. It’s simple, not too harsh, but still delivers the implied “Yikes”. 
  * 6:03 - The officer’s face as Malcolm ducks under the caution tape is all of us. 



  * 6:05 - JT “What up Miami Vice?!” Gotta appreciate the references that the 20 somethings most likely had to Google up to understand. Although that places me firmly within the age range of those who got it the first time… and that’s a little depressing. 
  * 6:09 - Dani - “How is everything? Were you able to kill James Bond or…?” Again with these iconic references that are simply hilarious. 



  * Shout out to EVERY ONE of Tom’s reactions to these burns. Specifically this one after Dani’s comment. That smile is so pure and beautiful and a RARE sight for Malcolm. 
  * And now we have the QUEEN of the white suit roast, Miss Edrisa Tanaka. 
    * “Who invited their coke dealer?” 
    * “I mean hello… Colonel. I love your chicken!” 
    * Malcolm “I was just on my way--” Edrisa “To poach ivory in the Serengeti?” 
  * And the winner, by way of knock out, Edrisa Tanaka! 



**5:17** \- Malcolm’s face as the DOA gets announced over Gil’s radio is golden. “Please, dad. PLEEEAAASSEEEEE!” 

**6:37** \- JT/Malcolm bromance moment. Let’s bond over our appreciation of antique pistols. Malcolm’s “humble brag” and JT’s genuine appreciation instead of his typical annoyance with the profiler shows the growth in their characters’ relationship. 

**6:53** \- Dani’s scrunched mouth, biting her cheek to keep from fully smiling, mannerism is one of my favorite things Aurora brings to her character. It’s adorable and endearing. 

**7:25** \- The English teacher in me absolutely swoons at any character reading to their children. The way Martin acts it out for Malcolm, to help him understand and stay engaged is the stuff us nerds live for. Not that I accidentally found something to praise about Martin or anything… ::shifty eyes::

**7:52** \- The team realizes they’re likely to see two more bodies drop due to the Monte Cristo connection. Malcolm turns excitedly, and Gil immediately shuts him down…”While you’re on vacation”. Tom’s “can’t blame me for trying” head bob is a nice touch. 

**8:01** \- That first subtle click of the land mine, and Malcolm’s subsequent head whip is so well done. 

**8:05** \- Here’s the thing, I bit the bullet and tagged the actors in a question on Twitter (those who know me, know that actor tagging for no reason is a MASSIVE pet peeve of mine). But after watching Malcolm’s desk jump for about 15 minutes frame by frame, I was struggling to figure out whether or not Tom was the one who did the stunt. We all know he probably could do this, based on his CRIMINALLY UNDERUSED Walking Dead training. But being able to and being allowed as the lead of a show are two very different things. That being said, I asked and I received a relatively cryptic and adorable reply from Lou Diamond Phillips.

I assumed, based on this reply that the answer was no. Then, the man himself blessed me with a straight up answer: 

For those wondering, yes I freaked out and fangirled in front of my husband. He now jokingly asks “Talking to Tom Payne again?” any time I smile at my phone 😂😂

**8:10** \- I always praise the little details our actors add to their characters. Here for example, Tom frantically blinks and occasionally squeezes his eyes shut as a way of showing Malcolm’s nerves. A habit that his character is shown doing throughout the season both in present day as well in flashbacks. Those seemingly minuscule things really take their performances to the next level.

**8:21** \- So M.E. helper guys… it’s best not to hit the guy holding down a triggered land mine on your way out. Oops lol. 

**9:06** \- “And, Dani… Uh… never mind” - This needs to be broken into the two ship stances

Non Brightwell: 

  * So if you’re of the belief that there isn’t/shouldn’t be any relationship or chemistry between Dani and Bright, then this momentary lapse in brain function can be explained in a few ways. 



  * Maybe he wanted to say some sort of thank you or other “just in case” phrase to Dani, and given the others in the room thought better of it. 
  * Bright could have simply forgotten what he was going to say. I mean the guy is holding down an active land mine, so I feel like we could give him a little bit of a break here. 



Brightwell: 

  * For the Brightwell folks this moment, as well as a few others in this episode, are part of the foundation on which you’ve built your house. 
  * The Malcolm Has Some Feelings camp will argue that the rest of the unfinished sentence was some form of a confession to Dani. This side of the argument asserts that Bright knows his situation is questionable, and he wants to say something to tell Dani what she means to him, but then chickens out for whatever reason: the others in the room, cold feet, what have you. 



  * It’s not just Malcolm’s actions that fuel the Brightwell shipper’s fire here. Dani’s are equally important. 
  * Aurora does a magnificent job here playing the panicked concern. Tears are welling in Dani’s eyes, as she’s trying not to show how scared she is. And a few seconds from now, she has to be pulled away by Gil and forced to leave Malcolm alone.
  * Additionally, and something that I’ll admit, pushes me a bit toward this side of the “Malcolm was going to confess something” argument, we get an interesting shot of JT and Gil here. After Malcolm says “never mind” Dani looks confused, understandably. But then we get a deliberate shot of JT looking over at Gil knowingly. And Gil turns from JT back to Bright, almost shocked that he started to say something. 
  * The thing about this shot is… it’s unnecessary. If there wasn’t some deeper meaning to Bright’s flub, then there’s no reason to show JT’s response (which is basically “Dude was about to say something intense”) and Gil being equally surprised about it. In terms of shooting, editing, and the creative process, if there wasn’t something there for us to note, then we wouldn’t have been shown the responses of the other two people in the room



  * Dani is the last to leave. When Malcolm says “go” Gil and JT immediately listen, and start to roll out. Dani doesn’t move. Gil pulls her to make her follow. I mean… 



**9:32** \- I love the bookend moment here. Martin talking about Malcolm started the “Under Pressure” music cue earlier and now Martin calling him has restarted it. Witty move on the editing/music department’s parts. 

**9:55** \- “Wait, you’re holding a live mine?!” Watch as Mr. David sits up at this comment. Even he’s on the edge of his seat here. 

**11:26** \- “I thought my son was dead…” I still absolutely crack up at this cut to Martin screaming in solitary. It’s hilarious. 

**12:56** \- “But dad, you kill people… and you’re a dick.” Hector is all of us. He is a gift to the fandom and should be protected at all costs. 

**13:51** \- RIP the Le Mans. Gone too soon. 

**14:13** \- Another example of Tom’s British showing. It always seems to be those pesky “r-y” endings that get him. This time it’s the word February. Most Americans say the word “Feb-ru-AIR-y” (or “Feb-you-rare-y” which is completely wrong, but a common mispronunciation). Tom pronounces it “FEB-you-ry”. 

**15:06** \- Gil has the entire team talk to Martin on the phone.

  * 15:08 - Malcolm’s face: The utter shock at Gil’s command, mixed with the terror of what his father might possibly say is priceless.
  * Having JT be genuinely scared of Martin is a nice character detail. He is typically the muscle of the group, the tough guy, but having Martin ask who he is over the phone has legitimately freaked him out. 
  * Notice Malcolm is desperately trying to wrap up this conversation as quickly as he possibly can. 
  * Another British Tom-ism: Americans: “DEE-tail” Tom: “Deh-TAIL”. Michael pronounces it the exact same way a moment later. Oh those British fellas. 
  * “Oh there’s a lady cop? 
    * Okay, watch Malcolm here. Literally the moment his father makes that comment, he goes into protector mode and ends the call. He didn’t do that when Martin commented on Gil, or JT. But when Dani got targeted by his father… Nope. We’re done! He feels protective of her. 



**18:43** \- The Sword of Damocles: Long story short, this guy was a real piece of work. Super arrogant and not a nice person. Then this happened: 

And this is the reason for Malcolm’s reaction. Also props to the set designers, this whole rig is very cool visually. 

**18:55** \- Malcolm flinging off his coat to get to work, rubbing the hands together, and full on rockstar sliding under those wires is prime. 

**19:37** \- “Who are we gonna call, the department of falling sword death?” 

Also, bright in crisis mode… hi silhouette!

**19:41** \- How does Malcolm being a 2 time silver medal axe thrower have anything to do with catching falling swords? Sir, your logic is invalid. Also Gil’s sassy reply at his chaotic surrogate son brings me joy. 

**19:52** \- So apparently Dani and JT just walk around town with wire cutters in their pockets any time they’re investigating a case? I see you writers… trying to just sneak that logic by us. Additionally, how did this guy “wake up like this” in this rig. If you were asleep, you would’ve triggered one of these for sure. 

**23:11** \- Tally and JT planning a watch party for this wedding was definitely not me for both of the modern royal weddings. Definitely not me at all. 

**26:59/27:21** \- The PS lighting dept are now officially pros at using Malcolm holding a flashlight to create some gorgeous effects. 

**27:51** \- Where exactly did Gil come from that Ernesto didn’t see him right there? They’re running through a pretty open yard. Seems suspect to me.

**28:00** \- Ok this ACTUAL snow is giving me life. The way it’s falling in the shot is beautiful. The way it’s catching in Tom’s hair, complete with wayward strand, is just so pretty. 

**28:57** \- Malcolm opens up to Dani

  * Dani finally calls Bright out. Asks him why he can’t just step back from profiling for three seconds and take a break. When she does, Malcolm contemplates for a moment, then decides to confide in her. 



  * “Imagine a theater that only plays horror films… about you.” This is such a beautiful and tragic metaphor for Malcolm’s mind. For him to reveal that this is what his daily life is like means that he definitely trusts Dani implicitly. 
  * The fact that she responds with humor is so on brand for her character. She knows this information is incredibly personal for him. She knows it must be hard for him to reveal it. In an effort to lighten the mood, she uses humor, but does so in a way that shows Bright she’s not blowing him off. 
  * Out of respect for what he has just told her, and her newfound understanding that a “vacation” is basically just mental torture for her friend, Dani skirts her orders and asks him where they are really going to help figure this out. 



**30:04** \- Malcolm brings Dani to Claremont

  * Firstly, the subtle change in the “We’re the Same” theme here is genius. There’s more of a piano melody throughout, which makes it feel almost like Malcolm is bringing a date home to meet his parent. It also gives the scene this false sense of sophistication, of how Martin’s former life used to be, all the while the images we see are of him being restrained in multiple ways.
  * The way Martin does indeed play this like a “bringing the gal home to dad” moment is on point. “What has he told you about me?” The unsettling over smile. Dani looking very much like a nervous teenager meeting a date’s dad, but instead she’s meeting The Surgeon. 



  * Martin: “A Friend?” Dani: “Partner” Martin: “Ah. Well, whatever you kids are calling it these days.” 
    * First, I love that Dani corrects him to partner. For some reason her claiming that makes me happy for Malcolm. Even though he’s not ACTUALLY a member of the team on paper, she definitely considers him that. 
    * Malcolm’s head shake and what looks like Tom attempting to stay in character after that line from Martin also makes me very happy. 



  * After Martin mentions John, Malcolm proceeds to completely ignore their current case and unleashes the elephant in the room… Martin intended to kill him. 
    * I wonder if this was part of Malcolm’s motive in bringing Dani to Claremont in the first place. Obviously they needed help on their case, but did Malcolm also want her there with him when he confronted his father about trying to kill him? Was she a security blanket? Something he could have there with him to keep him grounded and safe, while he tackled quite possibly the biggest mind f**k of his life? It makes sense that he would feel safer confronting this idea with her there. 



**33:14** \- Martin starts actually helping with the case, being a little angel so to speak, and thus receives his halo lighting as a reward. 

**34:01** \- “Kid, you’re done.” Oh Gil, if only that phrase had any actual threat behind it. I also love that he finally just gives up and rolls with Malcolm’s crazy ideas. 

**34:23** \- Dani’s dress

  * The “typically tough gal getting glammed up” trope is a thing that I tend to not really love. But in this case, Aurora rocks this dress into the next decade. As a result I melted almost as much as Malcolm did. 
  * The “typically platonic friends/partners seeing the other in a new light” is another popular trope, and I have to admit, I can’t shake that one. It gives me the feels. 
  * 34:29 - Aurora Perrineau - who gave you the right to look so freaking flawless in that dress. Who, I ask you? WHO?



  * 34:30 - Malcolm is all of us with this stare. Dayum chica, Dayum. Also… notice his eyes hit the full top to bottom ogle here. Three stops on the way down, too. So much that our boy legit just loses the power of speech for a second and then straight hangs up on Gil without so much as a toodles. 



  * Bright’s “Wow you look amazing” fully causes a Dani blush. Her snarky reply and once again that trademark scrunched smile just melt my heart. 



**34:52** \- Dani asks the question we’ve all been wondering this entire time: “What were you going to say to me?” 

  * Bear with me here. But this response: 34:59 - tells me everything I need to know about what Malcolm had intended to say. This proves it was indeed something intimate. Whether you’d like to argue that it was a platonic “I care about you” or a romantic one, something was there. His less than mediocre side step of her question only pushes that point further home. 



**35:24** \- You have to appreciate Jess taking a momentary pause from berating Malcolm to tell Dani she looks freaking fabulous. Dani then immediately returns the favor. Just two queens respecting and supporting each other. 

**36:30** \- Side note: Dani’s earrings are stunning as well. Honestly, I was too busy internally worshiping Aurora to notice them before. 

**37:57** \- Dani: “All these old families got skeletons in the closet” Malcolm: “Yeah. Mine had 23.” 

  * It’s good that we can joke about it now. That’s progress, right? 



**38:23** \- The synchronized turn, while the both of them are in full glam, is the stuff dreams are made of. I can’t decide who I’m cruising on more.

**39:00** \- This “toast” is giving off Season-one-of-The-Office level awkward vibes. It’s almost painful to watch. “Because that’s a thing people do.” 😂

**40:47** \- “All of human wisdom can be summed up in these two words: ‘wait’ and ‘hope’.” 

  * Not gonna lie, there were numerous moments during this dumpster fire of a year that this phrase became a mantra. 



**41:11** \- I mean guys, I didn’t need another reason to swoon over Dani in this episode. But her taking down a suspect in heels and this dress. Eternal Queen status solidified. That is all. 

**41:45** \- In this episode both of Jessica’s children help her achieve what she’s been desperately craving, a return from, as she put it, “Social Siberia”. Malcolm earns some major good son points, by announcing he is her son, right after he’s saved the day. Afterward we learn that Ainsley pulled some major strings to even get her mother the invite in the first place. They both understand how important this is to her. And want their mother to be happy. 

**42:29** \- Again, the light snowfall here is simply gorgeous. I’m sure not the most pleasant of shots for the actors, but it truly is beautiful. I also greatly appreciate Ainsley’s little “These are reasons why I’m single” snark during her report. 

There you have it folks, another ep in the books. We are officially entering the final third of the season. And things are about to get crazy. See ya next time! 


	14. 114 - Eye of the Needle

**114 - Eye of the Needle**

Based on the title alone, one can conclude that this particular episode will focus on something precarious, troublesome even - like threading the eye of a needle. Now, writing this as someone who’s watched this episode numerous times already, it’s hard to dive any further into that particular topic without going straight for the actual reason for the episode’s title. 

We do, however, need to revisit a recurring theme from the past three episodes: Malcolm dealing with the fact that his father tried/intended to kill him. 

Which brings us to the flashback in the opening of this episode...

**:05** \- It’s 2007, Malcolm is presumed to be 19-20 (ish) years old. We know this because of the way he parts his hair 😂. Sorry I had to. 

**:56** \- “If you were going to kill me right now, how would you do it?”

  * Malcolm asked his father… who’s already planned his own son’s murder before! It’s quite interesting to consider what Malcolm DOESN’T know in this flashback. He has absolutely no clue that his father has literally considered this before, and in fact put the plan in motion to an extent. Meanwhile, there sits Martin, cool as a cucumber, not even a bead of sweat on his brow as he plays off the question as a “morbid thought” while playfully laughing at Malcolm. Sociopath, party of one. 
  * The humor and jokes switch off in an instant, and a stone-faced Martin proceeds to list off the ways in which he could kill his son right this very moment. Not that he’s thought about it or anything. 
    * Bashing Malcolm’s skull into the table: This first one is easy. It doesn’t really even grab Malcolm’s attention, it's so simple. 
    * “Or maybe that loose screw on the table behind me”: This one is completely different. It shows premeditation, Martin scouting the room upon arrival. 



  *     * The music cue here tells us this very same thing. Up until this moment, the score was a light, almost romantic-sounding piano. Granted, it was playing the “We’re the Same” theme, but it was in no way threatening. The millisecond Martin mentions that screw- BOOM- music shift. First we hear the PS classic thump. Then the violins start. Their short, choppy bow strokes immediately make you anxious compared to the soothing and mellow piano notes we heard previously. After those choppy strokes, Nathaniel Blume gives is the classic horror film slide. The musicians drag their fingers slowly down the high strings, making the hair on the back of your neck stand on end. All the while Martin’s describing, in detail, how he could jam the screw into Malcolms neck, or through his eyes and into his frontal lobe. Classic horror.



**2:02** : “Could you kill me?” 

  * That same music cue we heard a second ago plays again as soon as Martin asks Malcolm this question. 
  * This moment- Malcolm silently noting all the ways he could kill his father- is so powerful. It’s one of the few times throughout the first season that truly make you wonder whether or not Malcolm could actually follow in his father’s footsteps. The fact that he notes three separate methods in which he could kill Martin, two of which require him to have also pre-scouted the room (just like The Surgeon did), shows a natural predisposition that mirrors his father. 



**2:17** \- The fact that Martin completely recognizes Malcolm has identified ways he would kill him, hits on this episode’s overall arc as well. Given what we know about the climax of this episode, it’s an intriguing opening nod to what we are about to experience. 

**4:05** \- Bless Jessica, but how on Earth does she consider it safe to meet someone who claims to have info on TGITB by herself? On a normal day, she’s incredibly wealthy, and as such a target for things like kidnapping and ransom.Then add to that the fact that her husband was The Surgeon - lots of enemies to be had in that department. On top of all the previous conditions, her son has been recently kidnapped and tortured. So, going solo… NOT A SMART MOVE.

**4:35** \- Carousel that starts on its own and plays that creepy music - Nope. I’m out. 

**4:50** \- That being said, how amazingly chilling is it that the music on this carousel deliberately shifts tempos and, as a result, keys (aka the scale and pitches that are the grounding for a piece of musical composition) as it plays. The result is unpleasant to the ear. When we hear a song that shifts keys often it’s similar to musical nails on a chalkboard. Which is exactly how we are meant to feel in this moment, when a horrific reveal is about to occur. 

**5:02** \- Best way to get someone to look at something? Yell “Don’t look!” 

**5:38** \- “Be honest, did you kill this guy just so you could get back to work?” I mean, JT’s not exactly off base asking this question. 

**6:39** \- Edrisa completely steals this scene, as per usual. Keiko’s delivery of these lines, specifically the rhythm with which she says them, is comedic gold. 

**7:40** \- “I don’t want to get Baba Booeyed” 

  * For those who may be too young to know, Baba Booey is a term for when an on-air newscaster gets pranked by a call in. It originated from the Howard Stern radio show, in which a man mispronounced the name of a character on a cartoon. It then became an inside joke for listeners of the show and they yelled it in various places that would be televised: sporting events, live news reports, etc. 
  * The most famous of these came in 1994, when a man called in during the live broadcast of OJ Simpson’s police chase. He claimed to be across the street and described what he was supposedly seeing. Right before he hung up the phone with Peter Jennings, he said he could be called Baba Booey, outing the call as a prank on live television. ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lP8TwjRMdS0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lP8TwjRMdS0)) 
  * Thus, Ainsley is incredibly paranoid that this might happen to her the first time she gets to be in an anchor position. 



**8:59** \- I gotta be honest. “The carousel killer” is a lame name. There, I said it. 

**9:21** \- “Oh, who picked out that blazer? She looks like the carpet at the DMV.” 

  * Ainsley is in the anchor chair for the first time in her life, and this is the first thing out of her mother’s mouth. While it’s not the only time we’ve seen Jessica berate Ainsley, it’s still pretty harsh, especially given Ainsley’s current predicament. Yet another example of Jessica favoring Malcolm over Ainsley. Yes she insults Bright’s chosen profession constantly. However, if you pay attention, most of her insults toward Ainsley are personal rather than professional. Something she does not do to Malcolm.
  * Malcolm’s response to his mother’s comment: eye roll and a sigh. Same. 



**9:30** \- Malcolm. Dear, sweet, Malcolm. The screen literally says “Carousel Killer Calls In Live”. Yes, honey, this is live. 

**9:45** \- The Whitly children get protective. 

  * As soon as the killer shifts his tone about Jessica - “Like she’s some kind of hero”- Ainsley furrows her eyebrows and her entire face subtly changes: she squints her eyes slightly, her mouth hardens, Ainsley is immediately defensive of her mother. 



  * Likewise, back at the precinct, Malcolm’s eyes aren’t on the T.V.. They’re on his mother, filled with concern as she is called a “fraud and a hypocrite”. He’s profiling her response, worried about how she will react. 



  * Ainsley then sternly defends Jessica: “My mother is neither of those things.” Afterward, she briefly loses her cool, smacking the desk and yelling, before collecting herself. 
  * When the killer threatens to kill more people if Jessica doesn’t pay up the million dollar reward, Malcolm’s eyes are again on his mother. He even reaches out to touch her arm supportively - physical contact in a tender form is not something Malcolm and Jessica do frequently. In the entirety of season one I think they hug twice: once after Bright has been held captive and injured and the second time after **Spoiler** a certain someone’s demise (Thanks for the assist, Caroline and Keri). While this little touch seems minor, it’s actually kind of a big deal for them. 



**12:47** \- “This killer has been wronged by the Whitlys” 

  * “We need a list of all the people connected to your father’s victims” - All the people connected to the 23 victims of The Surgeon? Seriously? Is Malcolm expected to create this list himself? This seems somewhat impossible. 
  * JT is, once again, on point. 
  * I also love all the little fidgets that Tom brings to the character. Or has himself and it’s still adorable: 



**13:15** \- “Dani, you and Bright…” (AKA: “Powell, you and Bright…”) a staple phrase in Gil’s arsenal. Either he really likes working with JT or he’s on to something. We see you, sir. And we appreciate it. 

**14:32** \- Today on Voices That Kick Some Serious A$$: Saul Stein. Seriously though. It’s hypnotic. In other unsurprising news, Mr. Stein has done quite a bit of voice acting for various video games. With a voice like that you practically have to. 

**16:50** \- “First time/long time” - An abbreviation of a common phrase used amongst those who call in to radio shows - “First time caller/long time listener” or vice versa. 

**17:02** \- Look at these two making the exact same face. Annoyed clenched jaw for the win. Bonus points for the simultaneous aggravated head shakes. And a level up for the perfectly timed exasperated eye rolls.    
  


**17:44** \- “Profit motivated killers have always fascinated me: taking a human life for something as tawdry as money…” 

  * By definition, the word “tawdry” means: showy, but cheap and of poor quality.
  * Therefore, Martin’s comment here is incredibly intriguing. For him, taking a life merely for the benefit of money is classless, disgusting even. It’s about the psychological need to experiment, to hold someone’s life in his hand. This weaves in with his being a world-class heart surgeon. He has a rather large God complex. For Martin, he is both the yin and yang, the giver and the taker of life, depending on which of the two tickles his fancy at the time. 



  * It’s convenient that someone as wealthy as Martin would make this comment as well. That being said they immediately address this in the very next sentence: “I guess that’s easy to say when your wife’s loaded” 
    * On that topic: THIS IS KIND OF A BIG DEAL. Notice Martin just said “when YOUR WIFE’S loaded” Not “When YOU’RE loaded”. 
    * Despite being a world-renowned heart surgeon, Martin was nowhere near the “breadwinner” of the Whitlys. That moniker goes to Jessica and her family fortune. Was that emasculating for Martin? Did that exacerbate his need to feel powerful, to hold his victim’s lives in his very hands? 



**18:15** \- “You are a diagnosed psychopath and narcissist.” Is he though? Sociopath or psychopath, Writers? I love you all dearly, but for the love of all that is holy please pick one and stick to it for the remainder of the series. Kisses. 

**18:35** \- “... one of my alleged victims.” Only Martin Whitly would have the gall to use the word “alleged” whilst sitting in his cell… where he resides… for having been found guilty of at least 23 murders. Props to Ains for calling him out on it. 

**19:27** \- Martin Whitly: information c**k tease. Always baiting and downright forcing his children into interacting with him against their will. Master manipulator, this one. 

**20:56** \- Shout out to Ainsley for taking charge of this moment and making some demands of her own. She’s spent the majority of this episode in a passive role, reacting to the events around her, dodging as best she can. From this moment on she is in the driver’s seat, taking her power back. It’s a nice moment for her character. And now, knowing where her arc leads for the rest of the season, the first of a number of times where she decides that she will take matters into her own hands. (See what I did there?) 

**22:04** \- Would a bank actually be able to provide Jessica with a million dollars in cash on the fly? I don’t know an insane amount about banking. So, I did some research. In terms of federal regulations there’s no restrictions to someone taking out any amount of money that they happen to have funds to support. The bank absolutely has to file a report with the IRS, but, provided they actually have enough cash on-hand to support your request, they can. Whether or not they can prepare that large of a withdrawal as quickly as they seem to in this episode is another thing entirely. Seems a bit like movie logic in that case. 

**23:01** \- I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: If the killer told me to “walk to the northwest corner”. That victim would end up dying while I tried to figure out which way to turn. Are we seriously supposed to believe that Jessica Whitly just inherently knew which way was northwest? Is this a skill the incredibly wealthy are just born with? Is northwest like magnetic north for millionaires? Does she just naturally gravitate in that direction?

**23:38** \- This crane shot of Jessica is gorgeous. Just an FYI.

**24:11** \- Nothing says “eff the wealthy” like having one of them dump a million dollars onto the pavement. I’ve got a few bills I need to pay. Where’s my “crazy lady” handing out hundreds like goldfish at a carnival? 

**25:49** \- “If I flew off the handle every time a Whitly went rogue on me I’d never get anything done.” 

  * This quote from Gil, while adorable, is the only time (as of season one) that Gil refers to Malcolm by his original last name. Obviously it’s done due to Jessica still having said surname. But, it’s noteworthy that, with the exception of this moment, Gil always makes a conscious decision to call Malcolm by the name he’s selected. Also, he rarely even calls him “Malcolm” opting to use only the profiler’s chosen name: Bright.
  * Reasons we love Papa!Gil #1746295



**26:15** \- Gil over here voicing what all of us were thinking: “A million dollars… just gone.” 

**26:33** \- Malcolm Bright uses the phrase “craven muckraker”. 

  * Every literary/language arts bone in my body turns to mush. I slide off my chair like jello from a bowl and land on the floor. Overwhelmed by the poetic wordgasm, my body returns to its original elements and I cease to exist completely. Roll credits. 



**27:22** \- Not gonna lie. I legitimately thought Adolpho was the killer for about two seconds here. I thought he planted the purse and was totally in on it. Adolpho, I apologize.

**29:53** \- One of the ambiguous things I love about season one was that Malcolm continuously brings up the “at least 23 victims” line. He’s convinced there was, at the very least, one more: TGITB. In all likelihood it’s quite logical to think that Martin has murdered more than the 23 people he was convicted for. Martin himself fuels that particular fire with his vague and tantalizing answers whenever Malcolm brings it up. This timestamp included. I’m very much hoping that more light is shed on this in future seasons. 

**30:28** \- Look at how genuinely shocked Malcolm is to see his mother walk through that door. He’s floored. And he knows something is very wrong. 

**34:36** \- The offense with which Martin delivers this line is priceless. This particular post had me in stitches. 

**35:08** \- Malcolm tells Jessica the truth about the camping trip. This is a major moment for him. He’s been carrying this burden around with him, his family unaware of the horrific reality of what almost happened. It’s cathartic for him to finally share this information with his mother, even though he knows it will hurt her to know.

  * As soon as Malcolm reveals this, the score shifts. It changes to melancholy piano, mirroring the profiler’s psyche and emotions. 



**35:40** \- “It’s true” 

  * This heartbreaking piano continues to play as Martin admits to his son that he intended to kill him. 



**35:59** \- “I couldn’t bring myself to go through with it. That was my choice. And God knows I’ve been paying for it ever since. You made sure of that.” Naturally, Martin manages to paint himself the victim. He spins the story of how he intended to kill his own child into him ending up in a cell because he chose not to go through with it. I’m sorry… WHAT?! No, sir. Nope. That’s not how it went down. In this moment, as he’s detailing exactly how he planned to murder his son in cold blood, he somehow manages to blame that same child for his incarceration. It’s mind-blowingly aggravating. 

**35:43-37:33** \- TOM PAYNE’S PERFORMANCE

  * Buckle up folks, this praise rant is about to be a long one. 
  * This section is some of the absolute BEST work Tom did in the entire first season. And that’s saying something. For simplicity I’ve broken it up into two parts
  * Part 1: Broken Malcolm
    * The absolute pain in Tom’s eyes, as Malcolm listens to his father describe his plan to kill him physically hurts my chest. The shock, the vulnerable and completely broken look on his face, rips your heart out. Even his stance makes Malcolm look like that scared little boy twenty years ago. 



    * “You made sure of that” - Tom’s shift here, from immense pain to guilt, is beautiful. His face falls; Malcolm can no longer look his father in the eyes. He swallows the lump in his throat, trying to control his emotions. It worked. Martin has somehow actually made Malcolm feel guilty for his being imprisoned. 
    * When Jess approaches Malcolm he looks almost catatonic. He barely acknowledges her, staring, open-mouthed at the ground, attempting to wrap his head around what has just happened. 



    * Martin tells Malcolm to kill him. Malcolm manages to look up at his father briefly in this moment, but only for a second, then it’s back to head down, jaw clenched, as Martin continues to goad him. 
  * Part 2: Triggered Malcolm
    * Here’s where the proverbial shit hits the fan, folks. 
    * Martin yells “Come on, boy!” and immediately Malcolm is triggered. It’s as though this is a specific phrase Martin has used on him before. Perhaps back when he was attempting to train Malcolm in his murderous ways as a child. (If this is your gif let me know! I give credit where it is due!)



    * Here’s why this is one of three scenes this season that should have absolutely earned Tom Payne some Emmy consideration: In an instant, Malcolm goes from broken, submissive, and vulnerable to bold and practically threatening. It’s as though the phrase has activated a part of his subconscious, perhaps a part Martin spent years grooming. Regardless, this moment sent a chill down my spine when I watched it live. I even found myself saying “Oh, shit” aloud to the empty room I was in. Tom’s head jerk, the complete transformation in his demeanor, and even the heavy breaths he takes, like this other entity has been struggling to resurface, are nothing short of phenomenal. 
    * The way Martin has tilted his head down and is power-staring into Malcolm’s eyes right after this only solidifies my belief that he knows what this phrase would do to his son. In this moment he is commanding Malcolm to do what he’s asked. 



    * Malcolm takes three confident steps forward, weapon in hand. In his ASTOUNDINGLY STEADY hand. 
      * CAN WE TALK ABOUT THIS SYMBOLISM PLEASE!? We’ve spent the entirety of this season watching Malcolm’s tremors at various levels of intensity. Regardless of how badly, the shaking has always been there (with the exception of the thirty normal seconds he spent post coital in his kitchen).
      * The first time we see Malcolm’s hand steady, with not even a hint of a tremor? When he’s pointing a sharp, deadly weapon at his father’s heart. Why? Because Martin is THE CAUSE of the tremor. He is the reason for Malcolm’s laundry list of mental health issues. Now, while killing Martin wouldn’t do much of anything to alleviate these issues now (that damage is absolutely done), this is without a doubt as profound a moment as we are going to experience in the first season. It is epic - the literal definition, but the pop culture colloquialism. 
      * Even Martin notes the steadiness of Malcolm’s hand with a touch of irony. 
    * Malcolm’s cold, dead stare as he looks Martin in the eyes is quite literally frightening. If someone looked at me this way I’d assume they were about to murder me too. Again a testament to the range Tom Payne shows us throughout this entire scene. 
    * The vengeful expression on his face as he pushes the weapon into Martin’s chest is equally chilling. 



    * Once the deed has been done, Malcolm shows no sign of regret for his actions. No shocked remorse. He simply stares blankly at his father as he lay on the ground. 



  * Tom Payne, ladies and gentlemen. The man is a gift to this fandom. And it’s not about the looks (which anyone with eyes can see). It's about the emotion and depth he brings to Malcolm Bright. It’s about the range he has while within the character’s skin. It’s about the way he expresses so much through only his eyes. We are lucky as hell that the circumstances worked out the way they did, and he ended up our lead. 



**37:38** \- I love the heartbeat effect here. The witty thing about it is, you really don’t know whose it is. It could absolutely be Martin’s, seeing as how he’s just been stabbed in his heart. It could easily be Malcolm’s, as he watches his father bleed on the floor from the wound he’s inflicted. In truth, it could also be Jessica’s since she’s just watched her son stab his father in the chest. 

**37:47** \- The blue filter added here is a nice touch. It fits Malcolm’s mood so well. The lighting is dark (I know big surprise), but this time it’s symbolically so. The filter over the whole image is blue - sad, depressing. And the score is filled with dread, much like we are as we wonder what will happen to Martin (and by extension, Malcolm). 

**38:36** \- *Throws a flag* Personal Foul, Detective Tarmel, targeting. That’s a 15-yard penalty. Although we will be waiving five of those penalty yards in appreciation of Gil’s jump and gun point combo. 

**38:58** \- Malcolm Bright pulls the Fred Jones

  * In true Scooby Doo fashion, Malcolm talks us through the entire “how we caught you” process, just like Fred used to do. Is it cheesy? Yep. Do we do it often? Nope. So does it get a pass? Absolutely. 
  * If only the killer would’ve thrown in a “and I would have gotten away with it too if it wasn’t for you meddling kids!” My nostalgia would have been complete. 



**39:27** \- Hey there, mic wire, clearly visible beneath Cory Wheaton’s scrub shirt. 

**39:51** \- “We don’t” - Malcolm revealing to Wheaton that he is The Surgeon’s son, that their family doesn’t get to be happy because they feel the same never-ending pain that the families of the victims do, is heartbreaking. Add to it the fact that he’s admitting this to a complete stranger who happens to be a killer, as well as the rest of his team, and it’s incredibly open and uncharacteristic of Bright. 

**40:02** \- “But we don’t go murdering people” - Even as he says this to Wheaton, Malcolm lowers his eyes and his entire head. He can’t look him in the eyes, because Malcolm knows there’s a legitimate chance this part is a bold-faced lie. He very well may have murdered his own father. Which, let's talk about that irony. The whole previous scene stemmed from this idea that Martin had planned to kill Malcolm as a child, that Martin’s admitting to it had broken his son. And then minutes later, Malcolm is plunging a weapon into his own father’s heart. Granted we get a little insight in the next scene that proves it wasn’t exactly a cold blooded attempt, but Malcolm knows the odds. And he still does it. 

**41:12** \- Yet another shining example of pristine song choice by our PS creative team. “Without You” by Junip. The tone of the song, the way the beat meshes with the visuals is just lovely. I reached out to the show’s composer Nathaniel Blume a few days ago, curious as to whether or not he was involved in the song selection as well as composing the score. Turns out we have music supervisors Season Kent and Gabe Hilfer and, in some cases, the writers to thank for our soundtrack. Here’s the intel he shared: 

  


**41:19** \- As we all watched this live, we were very much unsure about whether or not our beloved profiler had actually just willfully stabbed his father in the chest. Martin had mentioned a Jeb Waller, none of us knew what that meant, but clearly it was some sort of code. Then this flashback happens and it’s all made clear. Malcolm did indeed know what he was doing, it wasn’t an act of cold-blooded murder. That being said, he also knew the odds of perfecting the stab exactly the way it had to happen, were very slim. 

  * The takeaway from this: Malcolm is not his father by any stretch of the imagination. However, he absolutely knew the success rate while thrusting that ceramic shiv into his father’s chest. In his mind, Martin Whitly was an acceptable (potential) sacrifice for the life of an innocent woman. Especially once his father gave consent. 



**42:53** \- Gll knows. 

  * The lieutenant is no idiot. He knows that best case scenario Jessica stabbed Martin. Whether or not he considers the possibility that it was Bright as a “worst case” who knows. But neither of these scenarios are promising. They can’t ignore what’s happened and there will undoubtedly be an investigation, especially if Martin dies. Which, conveniently, we were not given closure on that particular topic when this episode aired live. Seeds of distrust have been planted within the team. Next episode we shall see how they grow. 



See ya next time!


	15. 115 - Death's Door

**115 - Death’s Door**

This witty title encompasses both the case of the week as well as Martin’s current physical state. The theme of death, and how people cope with it, is rampant throughout this week’s story. While Malcolm, the killer of the week, and Martin are the main focus of this theme, we get insight into some of the supporting characters as well. The audience learns backstory about both Dani and Edrisa in this episode, both of which involve death and are powerful moments that give us some much-needed character backstory. Here’s hoping we get more character backstories for Dani, Edrisa, Gil, and JT in season 2! 

**:02** \- We open in the hospital. The “Were the Same” theme is playing, so if there was any doubt (there wasn’t) that this scene involves Malcolm and Martin, we now know for certain. There’s an added string component to this version of the theme, though. While the violins (aka the high notes) play the typical melody we’re used to, the violas/cellos (the mid-low notes) are playing a constant set of 16th notes, which are relatively quick. This, paired with the camera walking us down the hallway, gives you a sense of urgency. Since we’re in a hospital, we can assume that urgency has to do with the beeping we hear: someone's life is on the line. 

**1:05** \- “Well, I don’t want it! And I don’t want to talk about it.” 

  * A sub theme that runs throughout the episode is Malcolm lashing out at those who care about him. For this episode in particular, the recipient of that frustration is Dani. In this scene she’s doing her best to try and be there for Malcolm in what is clearly a difficult time. She tries to talk about what’s going on and Malcolm is short with her. Admittedly he recognizes it immediately and apologizes, but the outburst is present all the same. 
  * The reason this is significant is because this behavior, i.e. Malcolm lashing out at Dani specifically, can be tracked for the rest of the season. As tensions build for the remainder of this season’s episodes, Dani and Malcolm frequently talk to one another, or at least attempt to. Their relationship (again either platonic or budding romantically, however you choose to look at it) is growing and they confide in each other, talk to each other about things - more so than the rest of the team. 



  * I feel that Malcolm “loses it” on or around Dani because he feels that he actually can. She’s the least likely one to take the outburst as a sign he should be removed from the team. He trusts her to see him vulnerable and not be judgmental. Ever since their discussion in the car about him feeling trapped inside his own terrifying mind, he feels he can reveal more of his true emotions around her. Unfortunately for Dani that means being on the receiving end of some emotional outbursts, because Bright is overwhelmed with everything that’s happening. 
  * The growth is there, though and that’s a good thing. 



**2:00** \- While Martin hallucinates in his coma the song that plays during is “Lovely Day” by Bill Withers. The irony of this song, given the events we are about to witness, is glorious. Firstly, it’s an incredibly upbeat song in terms of the music. There’s a peppy bass line, and the melody is catchy. We know who Martin is and what he does. This kind of music, as he approaches an injured pretty woman, is far more ominous than some threatening score.

  * Even more perfect are the following lyrics: Then I look at you/ And the world's alright with me/ Just one look at you/ And I know it's gonna be/ A lovely day
    * Live look at Martin’s serial killer internal monologue as he stalks new prey. 



**2:14** \- THE GIRL IN THE BOX!

  * Turns out this seemingly average Martin victim is actually the elusive GITB! The close up on the bracelet confirms it for us. 



  * This is the first time we see her face - not decaying or covered in whatever we were meant to believe that was in previous episodes.
  * Is TGITB meant to have been jogging? Or was she just on a walk and not paying attention? No judgement here, I’ve twisted my ankle just walking down my hall. Merely curious.



**2:55** \- In a continuation from the previous episode, here’s Ainsley being her mother’s protector. She’s finishing sentences for Jessica, asking all the adult questions, basically playing the mother role. 

**3:10** \- Gill sass alert. There’s just something about him doling it out to Jessica instead of Malcolm that makes it funnier. 

**3:37** \- Can I just say how appreciative I am that this show did not just stab Martin and then pretend there would be no consequences, since they found the actual killer. I am a HUGE fan of shows putting their characters in some whumpy and perilous situations. In fact I LIVE for that. But one of my biggest pet peeves is when they magically forget that the character has committed a crime and pretend there are no consequences for those actions. 

  * **Spoiler for later episodes** One of my biggest “please don’t do this” wishes for Season 2 is that the writers don’t ignore/forget that Malcolm is still wanted for/charged with Eddie’s murder. I’ll dive into this much deeper once we get to the finale, but if they only focus on Endicott and not the Eddie case, that would bother me quite a bit. 



The fact that they do not ignore this here gives me much hope. 

**4:03** \- Am I the only one who thought that Jess and Malcolm having this conversation about lying to the police… IN THE MAJOR CRIMES BULLPEN… was perhaps a poor decision? I respect that they’re at least “off to the side” but A) they’re still in the Major Crimes headquarters and B) they’re well within sight of the conference room. Honestly Gil should’ve absolutely been able to tell what was going on simply by watching their body language as they had this discussion. 

**4:47** \- NGL I’ve had a contact in my phone labeled “The Devil” too. And “He who must not be named”. 

**5:36** \- Edrisa’s absolute glee at this time stamp is adorable. She is bursting at the seams.

**6:03** \- Huge shout out to the set design for this clean white interior shot. It makes this scene one of about four in the entire season that is actually fully lit. 

  * Smaller, but equally significant shout out to Tom’s eyes in this scene. Boy do they stand out in this setting. 



**6:17** \- Props to the makeup department for this makeup-over-injury-over-makeup look on the dead fella. Not an easy thing to do. It’s like inception, but for foundation. 

**6:20** \- Dani and JT are sincerely grossed out, cringing even. Meanwhile, Malcolm is genuinely fascinated and practically smiling. Our boy. 

**6:49** \- The way Tom says “Close physical contact with a corpse” is absolutely hilarious. As is the comedic timing of JT/Gil’s response. What I didn’t notice before was JT’s deep grumble after Malcolm says “necrophiliac”. That being said, this is the first time I’m watching this with headphones and not on my television. It was a nice touch regardless. 

**7:09** \- “At its core, the impulse is understandable.” 

  * Edrisa blindly nodding, agreeing with anything Malcolm says 😂
  * Gil’s incredulous look at JT. 



**7:27** \- Malcolm says the phrase “A deep, and very human, need for connection” ...

  * then immediately looks at Dani.



    * This follows, seeing as how in the previous episodes the two of them continued to open up to each other. 
  * The next shot is Dani’s reaction to his comment. 
    * Not a ton to go on here. She's definitely listening to him though. 
  * And the shot following is Edrisa, hanging on Malcolm’s every word
    * Malcolm is discussing the innate human desire to have someone always there with them. For comfort. He’s singing Edrisa’s tune for sure. 



  * All that being said. THESE SHOTS ARE DELIBERATE PEOPLE. 
    * Nothing done in the editing room is accidental. Nothing Filmed on the set that day is accidental. Shifted glances, eyelines, edits to show character reactions, these are all very deliberately selected in the editing room. (and potentially specifically written in the script) 
  * The other interesting thing about this comment is that this need for connection is another sub theme throughout this episode. As we continue we will see Malcolm and Dani open up to one another more. We will also see Ainsley and Jessica bond as the junior female of the family continues to protect the matriarch. We also see Edrisa get an opportunity to join the team on a case (finally!) and we see her need to continually be around them and get their approval. 



**7:59** \- The identity of “The Devil”. 

  * Turns out it wasn’t my ex after all. 😂
  * Okay this introduction shot of Sterling is GORGEOUS. The focus and framing alone are amazing. We start with his face blurred in the reflection off the glass of the frame. In that frame? A clipped newspaper article about how The Surgeon “Lands [a] Surprise Plea Deal” This immediately tells us who Jess is talking to, without ever having to put the phrase in dialogue. Genius. Then the focus shifts to the face in the glass reflection to introduce us to Sterling’s physical appearance, now that we know who he is. 



  * And just who is the man behind that physical appearance? None other than THE Brian Stokes Mitchell! Now, I fully understand that not everyone on this planet is the Broadway meganerd I am. That being said ::voice raises and squeals:: It’s Brian Stokes Mitchell!!! For those who don’t know this glorious human, he’s a Broadway legend and Tony award winner. His voice has powerful depth that’s somehow as equally comforting as it is impressive. (skip to the 2:00 minute mark here and listen to this man [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZBLAmdULkQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZBLAmdULkQ))
  * Before I end this Broadway geek moment, today this little nugget dropped: ['Prodigal Son': Christian Borle & Michael Potts Cast As Recurring](https://deadline.com/2020/12/prodigal-son-christian-borle-michael-potts-season-2-fox-series-recurring-1234650804/) . CHRISTIAN BORLE?!?! Another Broadway legend? With an equally mesmerizing voice? (Who I saw in the OBC of Legally Blonde the Musical?!?!?) My Broadway-loving heart can’t take this. 
  * But I digress… This is one of the perks of filming in NYC. Broadway stars-a-plenty! Willing to sell a kidney for a Lin-Manuel guest spot. Just saying. 



**8:48** \- And there it is. Jessica could very well be charged with first degree murder. AKA: unlawful killing that is both willful and premeditated. As a mother, especially given the particular circumstances of their case, I respect Jess’s willingness to protect her son, no matter the cost. However, this little plan of theirs is unraveling at break-neck speeds. 

**9:17** \- The genuine excitement on Malcolm’s face is adorably child-like. Gil’s mortified “I’m good” is equally on brand for his character. 

**10:40** \- Ainsley using the 911 card to lure Malcolm into giving her the information she’s seeking is a nice full circle moment. It was barely four episodes ago when she was chastising her mother to a coworker for doing the exact same thing. Not to mention we all know Ainsley will get her story come hell or high water. 

**11:14** \- I’m going to be honest here. I was a little surprised that Malcolm just completely opened up and bore all the secrets to Ainsley immediately. Not to say that I think she would go straight to the police or anything. I just assumed if they hadn’t told her before now, then there was a reason they felt she should be kept out of the loop: for deniability, to keep her from being an accessory, what have you. If Malcolm was just going to up and word vomit the whole situation to her, why didn’t they do this before? Perhaps in a much more secure and safe environment, like NOT a crowded hospital whilst yelling incriminating details at unnecessary volumes. 

**11:45** \- Ainsley confirms that Malcolm hasn’t actually stepped foot into the room with his father. 

  * I’m intrigued as to what Malcolm’s reasoning is for this. There’s a number of logical possibilities here. 
    * Guilt - the most obvious of them all. While Malcolm stands by what he did, and it’s necessity, that doesn’t change the fact that he actually stabbed his own father in the heart. Bright is a very intelligent man. I’m sure the irony of that situation is not lost on him either. After all the trauma, after learning that Martin intended to kill him as a child, Malcolm was the first of the two to strike a potentially lethal blow. 
    * Denial - Bright could very well be refusing to enter because he doesn’t want to accept what he’s done. And if he walks in that room, and faces his actions, the weight of that could very well crush him, given the fact that he’s teetering on the edge of a mental breakdown on a normal day. 
    * Fear - If Malcolm walks into that room, and witnesses the physical aftermath of what he’s done. Then the proof is right there before him: he is capable of (potentially) killing someone. And isn't this the holy grail of questions we’ve been trying to answer this entire season? Is this fear why he’s so anxious when he flies through the doors at Ainsley’s fake 911 text? How much of Malcolm’s psyche is worried for his father’s survival v. officially becoming a murderer - just like his father? 



**11:57** \- Little details make all the difference. Like Martin asking TGITB if he could get her some tea… We all know what that’s for. 

**12:17** \- One of the things that fascinates me about these Martin hallucinations is that we don’t truly know if this is exactly how things with TGITB actually went down. The first few absolutely seem plausible in terms of how he met her and lured her into his home. Obviously it isn’t hard to tell where they take a hard left turn onto “this isn’t how it went down” boulevard. However these initial ones are an enigma. 

**12:19** \- The camera work here adds so much to the scene. Initially, it represents TGITB. As she struggles to get free of Martin and the chloroform, the camera shakes. When she loses her ability to fight back the camera stills, but pulsates her heartbeat as it pounds in fear while she goes unconscious. Beautiful combination of shooting style and effects here. 

**12:29** \- Once Jessica enters, the camera becomes Martin’s frantic psyche. Technically all of this is his psyche, I know, but now the camera shakes in panic. Well, as panicked as the charming and calculated Surgeon ever really is. 

**12:53** \- I would just like to again say I appreciate the writers of our show. The fact that they include this little lusty moment between Martin and Jessica is so important, as uncomfortable as it is for those of us who aren’t serial killers to watch. Many serial killers get sexual gratification from the act of murder, from the power they have in the situation, the fact that they hold someone’s life in their hands. In fact for a fair amount of them the act of killing is the only way they can find release. Even though it’s creepy af, I appreciate that the writers show us that Martin is turned on by what he’s doing. It tracks as a legitimate motivator for so many types of killers. The argument can be made that Martin is using this little moment to attempt to distract Jessica from the body he has clearly hidden in the other room. Which, okay then fine, but the fact that he’s aroused still stands either way. 

**13:10** \- Poor JT, just wanted to tell a joke. Know your audience, man. 

**13:17** \- Shout out to this circular track shot as the team discusses the case. 

**13:51** \- We see you, Dani. Work that profile, sis. 

**14:34** \- Malcolm’s reaction to entering the convention

  * As soon as he walks through the doors, Bright is confronted with nothing but death. It hits him hard. There is absolutely a part of him that still loves his father. Honestly that’s completely understandable. There’s no question that the things Martin Whitly has done are horrific and unforgivable. But that doesn't negate the 9.5-10 years Malcolm spent with him as a model father. Martin as “the perfect father” was Malcolm’s reality, regardless of whether it was a façade or not. It was real to Malcolm. That part of him is the part that still loves his father. That is also the part of him that sees the urns, the caskets and freezes. There’s a good chance that his father could die at any moment. Having that cold reality thrown in his face is a difficult thing to deal with. The fact that if Martin dies, it will have been from a blow delivered by Malcolm himself, makes it all the more painful for the profiler. 



**14:37** \- I love that Dani just assumes Bright would be right behind her and starts talking. That’s a learned habit. She’s used to him being there and is legitimately shocked when she turns and he isn't. 

**14:58** \- Malcolm and Dani have a moment:

  * Dani: “You’re acting weirder than usual, which is--” Malcolm: “Saying something. Yeah I’ve heard that before.”
    * The delivery of Malcolm’s line is absolutely heartbreaking. It isn’t snarky and annoyed. It’s utterly defeated. Malcolm is mentally spent, running on less than empty. Given his history, he automatically assumes where Dani was going with that remark and just doesn’t have the energy to deal with it. 
    * That assumption, however, was wrong. Dani wasn’t going for the jab. Her intended finish was “understandable.” That tells you how far these two have come. How their relationship has grown. JT might’ve gone for the joke (not saying that as an insult to him - just an observation). But Dani knows Bright - enough that she instinctively believes he would be standing behind her without her looking to check. She had no intention of poking fun at him at all. She’s there for comfort and understanding. 
  * 15:03 - Tom’s performance here is just beautiful. 
    * Dani says, “Your dad is in the hospital right now…” - When she does, Malcolm looks down. He can’t look his friend in the eye as she talks about his father being in the hospital. Why? Because Bright is the reason he’s there. Malcolm frequently drops his eyes when he’s lying or hiding something from the people he cares about. 
    * Dani: “...and your mom’s the one who stabbed him…” Bright turns his head and looks completely away. Then, at 15:06, Tom Payne rips my heart into tiny little pieces. When he looks away, his eyes gloss over with tears, and this man swallows a very real lump in his throat, biting his lip to keep from openly crying. Bravo sir. You’ve killed a part of me and I’m not even mad. 



  * “Yes. My serial killer father could die.” Another example of Malcolm lashing out at Dani when he’s in pain. Sometimes the people who care about you and check on you in your time of need end up getting the brunt of your frustration and pain. We lash out at those who come to our aid, because those who don’t care enough to check on us wouldn’t be around to receive that lashing. Malcolm immediately realizes his wrong. 



  * “You’re mad at me.” This time Malcolm doesn’t immediately apologize though. He turns to find Dani has looked away from him this time, then lowers his head and mutters these words. It’s not a question, but it certainly feels like one. The delivery is also very child-like. Malcolm’s eyes are again down, unable to look at her. The phrase is also relatively juvenile and I don’t mean that in an insulting manner. It isn’t until Dani answers his not-question that Bright brings his eyes back up to hers. And when he does, they're locked in on her. 



  * Aurora Perrineau’s performance here is equally wonderful. She toes the tough-gal-opening-up line so well. She doesn’t show quite as much emotion as Tom does, but that’s deliberate. That’s Dani. She opens up to Malcolm, confessing that her father died when she was 16 and the exact model of his casket is right across the room. 
    * Malcolm’s shift in body language at this confession is instantaneous. He’s both surprised at the reveal and is immediately contrite for snapping at her. 



  * “I didn’t want to tell you that, but I did. Because, that’s what friends do.” 
    * So much of Malcolm and Dani’s interactions center around this theme of friendship. Going all the way back to episode 5 when he asks if they’re friends and she says “not yet.” What does it truly mean for them to be more than coworkers? Will there be something more than just a friendship? Who knows. Right now they are both working on what it means to truly be a friend. Here it’s Dani trying to comfort her friend in a time of need and confiding a painful truth of her own in the process. 



**16:19** \- “Thinking about death?” The delivery of this line is a nice bit of levity from the more intense conversation we just experienced. But the brilliant thing about it is that while it is funny, it’s also still quite profound. The reality of the situation is, yes, Bright has absolutely done nothing but think about death since he stabbed Martin in the heart. Well done on the writer’s part to find a line that can deliver both ideals so skillfully. 

**16:40** \- When we first meet Tilda and she starts to give her sales pitch, Bright says he isn’t “in the market”. In reality he may very well be. As such, while she continues to talk about the features on the model of casket they’re looking at, the “We’re the Same” theme plays in the background. It’s the piano version we’ve heard before. Subtle; but it’s our metaphorical Martin presence as Malcolm tries to get through this convention. 

**17:58** \- Any time we get Dani and Malcolm side glances it’s a gift. 

**19:09** \- I love that I’m writing this analysis as I’m teaching Romeo & Juliet to my students. Nice of Sterling to throw out that Shakespeare quote for me at this time. “The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars” is from Act 2 Scene 2 - the famous balcony scene. The line comes as Romeo sees his Juliet at her balcony and he’s commenting on her beauty. He claims that her radiance could shame the very stars in the sky. So romantic… until you remember the entire play is a 4-day-long palooza of teenage hormones that lead to the deaths of 6 people. That’s amore.

**20:05** \- Seriously. Just listening to Brian Stokes Mitchell talk is hypnotizing. His voice 😍

**21:20** \- Malcolm gets another Horatio Caine, CSI:Miami line. **Hears “The Who” scream**

**21:30** \- Look at the writers being sneaky as we come back from the break, using Gil as the cheat to explain things quickly. The minute we come back: 

Gil: Hey audience, Dev’s not dead, he’s actually still breathing. Don’t worry we’ve called the EMTs. 

Audience: But where’s Dani and JT? Weren’t they just here?

Gil: They’re downstairs coordinating with hotel security. 

Audience: Gotcha. 

  * As much as I LOVE this show, there is literally NO reason for Gil to say these things out loud at this moment. Bright would have already known all this. He’s been there and would’ve witnessed the calls and the orders for Dani and JT to get downstairs. This dialogue serves no purpose other than to clue the audience in on the baby time jump that’s occurred to fit everything they needed in this episode. 



**21:47** \- How does it feel, Malcolm? How does it feel to watch one of your partners do something highly irresponsible and potentially put themselves at risk? It’s not fun is it? 

**22:24** \- LOVE that we get a look into Edrisa’s backstory and motivation here. The fact that she is so nervous and anxious at the thought of having a live patient is a wonderful character trait given to us by the writers. As someone who could never work in that profession, with that kind of pressure, I 100% understand her in this moment. But to have her, a trained professional in the field, still feel this way is such a real and honest moment in a show that can sometimes be a bit (and I say this with love because I’m obsessed) over the top with their cases. 

**22:32** \- Malcolm squeezes his eyes closed when he accidentally insults Edrisa. A trait he exhibits any time he wants to get away from something. 

**23:07** \- Love that Gil could have just picked one of the items in the mini bar. Instead he brings two handfuls of liquor. My kinda methodology, sir. 😂

**24:15 -** Writers, you geniuses, you! How I love and hate you in equal measure. One of my biggest “Gah I wanna know!” moments from this season is what the rest of this conversation between Dani and Gil would have entailed. What was she going to say about Bright? Why did JT have to interrupt them? 

**24:37** \- “Keep an eye on our boy.” 

  * Notice how Gil eyes JT, making sure he is out of the office before he says this to Dani. 



  * “OUR boy” by definition implies both of them have a significant connection with Bright. By nature of him waiting until JT was out of earshot, this phrase also implies it’s not just a “team” our boy. It’s these two individually. Semantics. Just saying. 



**26:28** \- Again I love the effects used here. How the camera/video pulsates with each of Martin’s heartbeats after being stabbed. It’s a nice touch within his hallucinations. 

**27:07** \- TGITB as a metaphor for Martin’s sins. 

  * The symbolism of TGITB fighting back in Martin’s hallucinations is both poetic and beautiful. Especially if you look at her as a metaphor for Martin’s sins, and how they’ve affected his family. 
  * TGITB specifically has come back to haunt Martin in so many ways. This victim in particular is the reason Malcolm has come to put so many of the pieces of his/his father’s past together. Now she is the thing attacking him in his coma “dream” (frankly I’m just sick of typing hallucination). Martin’s carefully crafted lies to his son are crumbling along with what little relationship the two still have. 
  * In his “dream” she says she says Martin’s “boy dies first”. This tracks, seeing as how Malcolm is definitely the one most affected by Martin’s actions. He’s the member of the family with the most trauma, and the most at stake, as of this episode at least, because of his father’s past. 
  * We will come back to this idea later when the hallucination continues. 



**28:38** \- This moment between Ainsley and Jessica is yet another one that I greatly appreciate the writers adding. It’s so easy for outsiders to look at the family members of a serial killer and judge them for still caring about the person. These people lead “normal” lives. They manipulated their family members and usually played the family role very well. For Malcolm and Ainsley, Martin is still their father. And it is absolutely possible to condemn a person’s actions, to be horrified by what they’ve done, and maybe even never want to see them again, but still care about them. Love, the kind of love between a parent and a child, doesn’t just switch off one day when you find out your father is a serial killer. Adding this moment to our show gives us a chance to really consider this conundrum. 

**30:25** \- Check out the framing of this shot. We’ve got the back of Tilda’s head in the foreground, splitting Gil and Bright. Then, in the background we get to see Tilda’s face, via her reflection in the one-way mirror. Gorgeous. 

**31:03** \- As soon as Tilda says, “My work is my life” Gil’s eyes immediately fly to Malcolm. We all know he’s thinking “sounds familiar”. 

  * To Malcolm’s credit he replies with a very honest, “I understand how you feel.” 
  * And here’s the inception convo: 
    * Malcolm: “You’d do anything to protect your career, LIE TO THE POLICE, risk your life…”. Oh, you mean all the things Bright does on a daily basis and is currently doing at this very moment?
    * Gil - to Tilda, but really to Bright: “But it’s not worth your life” (fleeting eye contact between surrogate father and son)
    * Malcolm: “no it’s not” 
  * Oh the cryptic conversations. 



**33:18** \- Bright: Edrisa didn’t want to talk to me

Dani: Nope doesn’t track. Something’s sketchy. 

Bright: Yup. 

**33:28** \- The return of Eve Blanchard. 

  * My feelings about this character and her actions aside, Jessica Whitly what TF are you doing? Remember when you were in Gil’s office with Ainsley, discussing how your family attorney wouldn’t be good enough for this case? That you needed a criminal defense attorney to get you through this insane situation? Any of that ringing a bell? 
  * Naturally, then you called Eve... The attorney whose specialty is human trafficking. At least we’re thinking logically here. SMH.



**35:20** \- Can we just take a moment and appreciate that Malcolm actually called for backup? Did he agree to wait for said backup and then immediately go running into danger alone again? Also yes. But this is growth, people. Small victories. 

**36:30** \- So much love for Edrisa. The way she describes her love for her job and how much she respects those victims she works with in her lab is absolutely awe inspiring. This was another beautiful peek behind the curtain for her. Can we do this more often please? With JT and Dani also. 

**39:18** \- Edrisa taking charge and helping Bright take down the suspect is such a big moment for her. This is definitely not her typical arena and you can tell she’s feeling very empowered. Kudos to Bright for realizing this and quickly shifting from chiding her to praise. 

**40:06** \- “You’re the one I like talking to” 

Platonic analysis: 

  * From a strictly friendship perspective, this is a sweet moment between the two of them. Malcolm admits his faults, and offers his (let’s be honest best) friend the truth - “you’re the one I like talking to”. He trusts her. And he will actively try to be the better friend she deserves. 
  * Dani in turn razzes him a bit about his therapy-with-a-killer moment, but is clearly happy with his vow to actively work to be a better friend to her. 



Brightwell Analysis: 

  * See above, because a solid romantic relationship absolutely has a friendship foundation. 
  * Add to that a potentially deeper meaning to Bright’s “You’re the one I like talking to”. Perhaps this could also mean she’s important to him in more than just a platonic way. The beauty of Tom’s delivery here is it can genuinely be taken both ways. 
  * I do think Dani’s response to his comment is important though. After Bright says this, Dani inhales a bit dramatically. Then she quickly looks away for a moment. Potentially just an acting choice on Aurora’s part, but if not, then that’s definitely a signal that this comment did something to Dani. She wasn’t expecting it, and if we are thinking romantically, hearing someone you care about say that, would in a sense take your breath away (albeit in a minute way here).
  * Also, our show has a habit of having Malcolm say something mildly ambiguous, and then showing us the reactions of the people he was talking to. In these cases we are left to use these reactions to decipher the potential meaning of Malcolm’s comment. This is another shining example. 



**40:57** \- The lighting in this whole final hallucination is amazing! Using the child’s rotating toy/night light is brilliant. It’s visually stunning, while also helping add to the “this isn’t reality” feel of this moment. The fisheye feel to this lens is doing the same thing. 

**42:05** \- The utter adoration with which Little Malcolm looks at Martin in this scene… This is the point at which Martin flips the script on the “dream” GITB. This is his territory, not hers. As soon as he does that. Little Malcolm isn’t scared anymore. He’s looking at his father adoringly, in awe. This is the way Martin hoped it would be. This is the reaction he wants Malcolm to have, not reality. 

**43:06** \- While reality Malcolm may not be proud or hero-worshiping Martin any time soon, he lures The Surgeon away from his hallucination by doing one simple thing: standing at his father’s bedside. Let’s assume based on the shade that Ainsley previously threw at her brother, that she had indeed been in the room with their father. Maybe Jessica did too, who knows? That being said, it wasn’t their presence that brought Martin out of his coma. It was Bright’s physical presence, as well as the sound of his voice. Since Malcolm was the point of focus in the hallucinations, the one being threatened, to see and hear him in the real world, safe and unharmed, was enough to bring Martin back. 

**43:14** \- Serious props to Tom here for channeling little boy Malcolm. That tiny smile, that clear happiness that his father has woken up is so pure and innocent. And he delivers all of that in literally 3 seconds. Well done. 

That’s it for this round, folks. Next episode we spice things up with a visitor from Malcolm’s past. See you then! 


	16. 116 - The Job

**116 - The Job**

This episode’s title wittily references both the heists performed by the thieves as well as Malcolm’s training as a profiler. Throughout the episode, Bright is left contemplating his trust issues. At the same time, he is a skilled profiler and cannot ignore his training and ability to read people either. Which insights are products of the trauma caused by his father and which are his professional brain warning him about a suspect? These warring concepts battle each other throughout “The Job”. 

**:05** \- The writers hit us right out of the gate with this absolutely hilarious bit involving the hospital bed. The complete and utter disdain on Jess and Malcolm’s faces is comedic gold. That being said it’s also very much the reality of how they feel. Nothing is worse than actually needing Martin Whitly. If you need him for something, he owns you. And these two might as well have “property of The Surgeon” tattooed on their foreheads. 

**1:23** \- And here it is. Martin: always manipulating, scheming in one way or another. This time he’s literally forcing his son to choose between his mental stability or his mother’s life. Given that Malcolm is one of the most selfless characters ever to grace the small screen, naturally he agrees. Meanwhile, Martin’s having the time of his life watching them both squirm. 

**2:43** \- Notice how both the sun and Malcolm’s cup of coffee/tea clue us in to the fact that it is likely morning. It's a subtle nod to Jess’s love of day drinking. We know if the timing was more appropriate Bright would likely be drinking about his agreement with his father too. 

  * Is there anything that hurts your heart more than Malcolm not being able to think of some good news to toast to. Bless this poor man and his dumpster fire of a life these days. 



**4:00** \- Someone tell Jessica Whitly her son is 31 (ish). And he’s fully capable of getting laid without her constant meddling. 

**5:08** \- First time I get to hear my name on Prodigal Son and it’s a gal with a hole in her head. RIP fellow Ang. We hardly knew ye. 

**5:52 -** Vijay

  * I must admit my skeptical self immediately assumed “well he’s involved in these crimes for sure”. It’s my go-to response for any new character we are supposed to like. In my defense it WAS DEAD ON WITH EVE!
  * But Vijay’s good or bad allegiance notwithstanding, his introduction gives us some content we were desperately craving, BACKSTORY. And not “here’s another body I found as a kid”, backstory, but legitimate post-father’s-incarceration-boarding-school backstory. Here’s what we learned: 
    * Vijay is genuinely unsurprised at Malcolm’s new last name. While he does continue to call him Whitly a few times throughout the episode, the change in name is not even notable news to him. 
    * **6:04** Not really new intel, but look at how proud Malcolm is when he tells Vijay he's with Major Crimes. The humble brag while absolutely beaming with pride is too adorable. 
    * 6:25 - Clever use of a “normal convo” to have Malcolm explain to the audience what an underwriter does, since that plays a major role in the rest of this episode. 
    * 6:41 - Watch Vijay give Dani the “How you doin’?” nod. Also watch her scrunch her face in disgust when he does. I especially appreciate how Aurora just looks back and forth like “seriously dude?” Priceless. 



    * Immediately following, Vijay rolls out and Dani’s first comment to Bright about this old friend: “That guy seems great” dripping with sarcasm. 
    * “Aw. You were bad dad kids.” The playful banter between Dani and Malcolm is adorable, but at the same time it’s also revealing of Malcolm’s childhood post Martin’s trial. 
      * It’s one thing to be a boarding school kid and have your dad go to prison for some white collar crime. Or even, as is Vijay’s case, have him incarcerated for drug charges. It is an entirely different thing for your father to be found guilty of murdering 23 people. Smart money says Malcolm was absolutely the school outcast once that happened (not unlike Jessica in her social circles). The fact that he found someone to connect with, who happened to be in a relatively similar situation is simultaneously comforting and incredibly sad. 
    * “You were a weird loner in high school?... stop.” 
      * Just as Dani’s ribbing suggests, it should come as no surprise to anyone watching that Malcolm was indeed one of the “weird kids” in high school. The fact that he and one other friend sat at a lunch table that was heavily avoided by the other students is absolutely no shock to me. But the visual is adorable nonetheless. 
      * Can we please talk about the squinty flirtation going on after Dani says this line? Malcolm responds to her joke with a “har har” squint/fake angry glare. Meanwhile she doesn’t even try to hide the smirk on her face as she returns the same playful glare. Could this scene be any cuter? 



**8:23** \- Check out this amazing reflection shot via the TV screen. We first see the pandemonium of the robbery. Then Gil turns it off, revealing all four of the team members’s reflections. Afterward, we get this amazing transition where the camera simply pulls back from the reflection as the team shifts positions in the conference room. Beautiful camera work! 

**8:42** \- The Vijay wink: the gesture that launched a thousand fanfics. 

**8:50** \- Vijay enters the room with a “Hi. Hello. Hola.” Was this simply a phrase he used frequently? Or was the Hola added for JT, who based on various pronunciations here and there clearly has some Latinx/Hispanic background. 

**9:03** \- Malolm guesses another potential name for JT: “James Thomas”. He gets immediately shut down, as per usual. But what’s important to note here is Dani’s response to his guess. She shakes her head as if to also say “Nope. Not it.” Which means at the very least she knows JT’s full name. One would assume Gil has to know it also, if for no other reason than paperwork and hiring purposes. Therefore, the entire team is in on this joke. They all know and simply sit and watch Malcolm fail over and over again. Somehow it’s even funnier this way. 

**11:17** \- Here we are in the midst of Martin’s carefully calculated manipulation of Bright’s time. He tries his best to find a way in, to work the conversation until he’s found a topic that Malcolm will fall for. He’s blackmailing his son, yet somehow manages to sound so innocent, as though he’s simply a father trying to connect with his son. 

**11:38** \- “It was such a relief when you started making friends after all those years of isolation.” Oh you mean the isolation that happened as a direct result of your murdering at least 23 people, drugging your own son, and planning to kill him? THAT ISOLATION?!?!

  * “How many problems in your life can you blame on me? No friends. Night terrors. Did I give you psoriasis to boot?” 
    * See the thing is, everything you listed, except for the little attempt at humor on the end, are all actually your fault, Martin. 



**12:50** \- Look at Malcolm using the word Gil as a deliberate dagger to Martin’s heart. He’s fully capable of throwing a few jabs back at his father when necessary. 

**13:50** \- How in the world are these three so completely chill about this woman with a bullet in her head just waking up and talking to them?!? Typical Thursday for Major Crimes is it?!

**14:41** \- It can’t be a coincidence that, as Malcolm is very much hatching a manipulative plan to do something morally grey, Vijay calls him “Whitly” again. 

  * This hits on the entire first season’s theme: Is Malcolm capable of becoming his father? This seemingly insignificant comment is a nice symbolic way to show that there are indeed times when Malcolm crosses that line and dips his toes into the dark side as it were. 
  * Martin could not be prouder of his son. He’s feeding him useful intel by the truck load, knowing full well that his son is about to use this information to do something ethically sketchy. Anything to help Malcolm down to his level. 



**14:59** \- Micheal Sheen’s comfiest day on set. Hands down. 

**15:57** \- Okay, medical profession folks. Serious question. Do you actually use glorified saran wrap as a partition when performing a craniotomy? 

**16:02** \- Vijay’s deadpan delivery of “We’re both very excited to talk with you” while trying not to be violently ill is amazing. 

**17:10** \- Not since he lied and told Roger he was dying in 104 have I been so outright disgusted by our boy. Questioning a person while they’re undergoing a medical procedure is unethical and in poor taste. To do so while in the middle of a freaking craniotomy… is beyond unacceptable, especially since you went against direct orders AND blackmailed your way into the OR in the first place. Poor form, sir. Poor form. But again, a glimpse into the morally grey area Malcolm is willing to step into if he finds the cause worthy. 

**18:37** \- “Baby boy”... There’s a name that implies an extreme level of comfort. Like…personal, EXTREME 🤔

**19:34** \- Full disclosure, this episode isn’t exactly my favorite of the season. For whatever reason it just didn’t hit me like some of the others did. I say that because this might be my third time watching this episode ever (Believe me when I say that number is far higher for other episodes #notashamed). 

  * Being a bit more fresh to this episode, I’m loving how this convo between Vijay and Malcolm plays out. Bright is very much identifying his issues with trust, trying to confront the problems of the past in a manner that befits someone attempting to work through their trauma.
  * He even goes so far as to outright tell Vijay “I’m having trouble trusting you right now.” Which is such a huge step in terms of trust, to just tell the person to their face. 



  * His personal issues and his profiler training are at war in this moment. Based on Vijay’s behavior, the profiler in him is screaming “WARNING! WARNING!”. And yet, Bright really is trying to better himself, to keep himself from repeating past mistakes. That part of him wants to implicitly trust his old friend. 
  * This juxtaposition is so well done throughout the episode really, but in this conversation in particular. 



**20:14** \- Bright has his sleeves rolled up… which somehow feels like an exposed ankle in a Puritan colony. 

**20:28** \- “I think I’m nervous” - another example of a statement “most” guys wouldn’t admit to the person they were attempting to date. I’m making some pretty broad generalizations here, so understandably that’s not true for everyone. But admitting that, and risking further embarrassment in front of someone you’re attracted to isn’t typical behavior. Malcolm doing so (as well as the previous trust comment to Vijay) truly shows that he’s trying to work on himself. It's very endearing. 

**20:47** \- (SPOILER FILLED Mini rant incoming) The more I watch episodes that feature Eve the angrier I get with this character. Let me begin by saying I have nothing at all against Molly Griggs. She’s lovely and plays the part very well. But man do I loath Eve. How she can say the phrase “Now trust me” and not just burst into a pillar of fire right there on Bright’s sofa is beyond me. I completely understand this woman’s struggle to find her sister. It’s tragic and heartbreaking. But NONE OF THAT EXCUSES HER ACTIONS. The lying, the manipulation, the betrayal, none of it gets excused because you’re sister went missing. Sorry, hun. 

Now whether or not she has true feelings for Malcolm is a toss up in my opinion. The “my actions were evil, but I really cared about you” trope is weak sauce. And this has nothing to do with “ship” wars or the narrative that people love to “hate on strong female characters”. I love Jessica. I love Dani. I love Edrisa. As someone who has been manipulated by a significant other in a relationship, I’m not here for Eve. And frankly, I was quite excited when her arc ended as it did. Adios (Okay rant over). 

**22:45** \- Bless these two actors. You can see Tom’s breath the minute he enters the car. Dhruv’s as well. When they exit it’s so much worse. Tom’s nose is red. They both sound like their nasal passages are frozen. I’m very curious as to whether or not this scene contributed to Tom’s being OBVIOUSLY sick in the next episode. 

**25:11** \- “This phone is reserved for telemarketers and politicians. Identify yourself so I know how hard to slam the receiver.” This is my favorite Jessica quote of the whole first season. Absolute gold. 

**26:07** \- Martin: “So is this what it’s like, worrying about your kids? Thinking of all the terrible things that could be happening.” Says the serial killer father… about his son… who he fully intended to murder. It’s morbidly interesting to watch Martin turn on this charm, this I’m-a-good-parent act that he loves to play so often. I say it’s an act because being a good parent isn’t something you can turn on and off. You don’t get to pick if and when you worry about your child. That particular switch is in a permanent on position from the moment that kiddo is born. No truly-loving parent could manipulate his children the way Martin does. No loving parent would put their personal needs over the mental and physical well being of their child. I’m sure I’ll get some attitude about this because Martin is definitely a character we love to watch, myself included. But good parent, loving father, person who is capable of being genuinely kind without any sort of agenda, Martin is not.

**26:12** \- Martin: “ Parenting is tough stuff. It’s good to have someone to talk to. Someone who cares as much as you do.” Jessica: “You’re right. I should call Gil.” 

  * Another delightful zinger by our beloved matriarch. While the burn is quite roasty toasty, what gives it that extra crispy finish is the fact that Jessica isn’t wrong. Gil has been a far better father to Malcolm than Martin ever has. The truth behind the snark is what makes it hit hardest. 



**26:54** \- In case anyone was wondering. Brooks Brothers does indeed make onesies. HOWEVER, they did not introduce their infant line until 2019. So, the joke is solid, but not to be taken literally. Yes, I researched this. It is the only time I, a teacher, will google “Brooks Brothers onesie”. 

**30:00** \- Oh the hints our boy is dropping. Huge. GIANT hints.

**31:33** \- Malcolm Bright: cover blown, tied to a chair, surrounded by armed thieves and a murderer. 

Also Malcolm Bright: happiest guy in the room. 

  * He genuinely LOVES putting the pieces together, reading the suspects and analyzing their behavior. So much so that he completely overlooks the mortal peril he often ends up in. 
  * All I could picture the moment this went down: 



**35:19** \- The return of Martin: Malcolm’s psyche edition

  * Martin returns to Malcolm’s psyche, just as he did in 111. And here he is, one proud papa. He marvels at the master manipulation Malcolm pulled off. He was tied to a chair with four armed suspects and somehow managed to get them all to shoot each other rather than him. Honestly, that’s pretty impressive. 
  * In a way only The Surgeon can, Martin compliments Malcolm by calling him a “killer”. Whenever this comparison to his father or his father’s actions comes up, Bright always vehemently denies it. 
    * Shoutout to Sheen’s southern aristocrat accent when he says “I beg to differ”. 
  * Martin: “You didn’t pull the triggers or load the guns. No no no. You loaded their minds. With fear and anger.” 
    * As much as it pains me to say it, Martin isn’t wrong. That’s exactly what Malcolm did. Whether or not it was intentional to save himself or just a byproduct of his profiling isn’t clear. But he’s done exactly what his father claims. And the problem here is, this is exactly what Martin does. He fills his victims with fear as he tortures them and takes their life. The pride with which he speaks to Malcolm practically radiates from The Surgeon. And that is never a good thing. 



    * And remember… this isn’t the REAL Martin talking. This is Malcolm’s psyche talking to himself. So, this pride with which his father speaks is actually Malcolm’s dark side. This is his own mind telling him “you’re a killer”, “look at what you’re capable of”, “just like your father”. It’s all the more heartbreaking when you remember this is Malcolm’s mind doing the talking. 
    * “A Mixture of Fear and Anger **”** \- the title of today’s newest score composition.
      * Opens with ominous notes/effects, as though something evil is lurking in the distance, waiting to strike. Convenient, given this part is playing as Psyche Martin walks up to Bright. 
      * High notes that are slightly off key together. A metaphor for Malcolm and Martin perhaps? It certainly fits. 
      * Constant beat in the background. This part of the song plays as Martin is complimenting Bright’s manipulation, discussing how he “loaded their minds”. That consistent throbbing worry in the back of his mind. 
      * Transitions into a full-string-orchestral “We’re the Same” blended with sound effects that are absolutely gorgeous. The bass notes fill your head and the effects make it sound otherworldly. It’s the most epic sounding version of this theme we’ve heard so far. And I mean epic in scope and scale, as well as amazing. The cue for this moment in the episode is just phenomenal! The moment begins right after Martin says “You don’t need friends” (cue epic theme transition) “You’re too much like your old man”. It’s sinister on a grand scale.
      * It ends when all the strings crescendo, plateauing on these incredibly unpleasant-screeching-high notes. These notes hit as soon as Martin warns, “They’re not all dead”. That screeching represents the threat to Malcolm in the real world, where he needs to return to defend himself. 



**37:54 -** Disheveled Malcolm hair alert/appreciation. 

**38:18** \- Two 14 year old boys celebrate their chaotic genius. Oh sorry. I mean: Two grown adults celebrate their well thought out and executed plan. 

**40:46** \- Again while I CANNOT STAND Eve the character, many, many kudos to Molly Griggs and her performance in this scene. 

  * So many of us in the fandom started spitting theories about Eve’s connection to the overall plot back during 109.**spoiler** I thought perhaps TGITB was her young mother. But, so many others guessed the reality from the get go. 
  * While we don’t get confirmation on her exact connection to TGITB until the next episode, it is very clear, based on her reaction to the box in the basement, that Eve knows who this woman was personally.
    * To that point- again bravo to Griggs here- her breakdown as he looks into the box is heartbreaking. The way she allows herself that short moment of despair, and then immediately bottles it back up is also extraordinary. Very well acted, Molly! 



  * EVE GETS INTO THE BOX: 
    * This was the moment that absolutely solidified her relation to TGITB for me. No one else in their right mind would do this. But if Eve was related to this woman, and has spent her whole adult life looking for her, this response actually tracks. She would want to understand her loved one’s pain. 
    * This is also a way for Eve to feel close to her relative. After having searched for over a decade, she is now laying somewhere TGITB has been. Of course this isn’t a positive situation by any means, but it’s closeness nonetheless. 



  * So just curious: 
    * How long did Eve stay in the box? 
    * Did Jessica not notice her absence? It couldn’t have taken THAT long to put some flowers in a vase. 
    * If Jessica did notice her absence, how did Eve explain her presence in the basement? Or did she just pop up out of nowhere and claim she was in the bathroom? 
    * These are logistical questions my analytical mind needs answers to. 




End file.
